To Love an Ancient 3: The Last Seven Days
by aer-seph4eva
Summary: Final story in the TLAA Series. Now Meteor is coming, Gaia is getting ready for death. But maybe there is a chance to save everyone. The fate of mankind now rests on the sacrifice of a very brave Flowergirl. Will she fulfill her destiny? S/A Kad/Aer/Yaz
1. Death Pact

**To Love an Ancient 3: The Last Seven Days: An Aeris and Sephiroth Finale.**

**20292 Words **

**51 pages**

**Chapter 1: Death Pact **

**Disclaimer**

**Nope, I don't own Final Fantasy 7...but I sometimes adopt their kawaii bishonens! (most specifically the silvered haired kind.)**

**Author's Notes**

**Hey guys! Just to let you know, I have reached the third, and final arc of my fic! **

**(Btw for any new readers, I wholly recommend you to read TLAA1 and TLAA2 first, so you can understand the events of what have occurred so far.)**** The A/K title has now changed, so A/S remains to be the prevailing theme. It just seemed logical to break this story into three parts. Now that Kadaj is taking a backseat role, Aeris is progressing back to the original story arc. Lol, If anything, Yazoo will be making a step forward, but unfortunately, even though his character plays a pivotal role in this final arc, it is still not enough for him to play the leading man. So I can't call this A/Y! (as much as I secretly wanted to. Lol x) Coughs x Yus, Aerseph4eva will forever remain loyal to the warped shipping of A/S x LOL, despite almost being converted to a A/Y fan. **

**Hmm, thinking about it now.. I'm not sure how long this last arc will be. I have a feeling it will be a lot shorter than TLAA2. Still, there are lots of things to write about. Even though Meteor will fall in 7 days, I can still flesh this fic out….(does anyone remember how furiously annoying those DBZ battles were? If anyone used to watch the series, you would remember the craziness of the battle time frames. In some episodes , they would drag out a 7 min battle scene for like 5 EPISODES Lol) So don't worry A/S lovers, I still have many more chapters to write before this story is completely finito x**

**Oh…I also feel I need to ****warn**** you readers that there is a greater use of taboo language in this chapter. Not that I'm usually fond of potty language, but since it's the end of the world on Gaia, verbal etiquette is lost, understandably, in a desperation to survive the oncoming Apocalypse x lol**

**As for musical muses for this chapter, I don't know if any of you guys have been on ocremix but that site has the BEST videogame music remixes on the web! I could spend hours listening to all the ff7 pieces on that site. 'Ascension to Cosmo Canyon' and 'Sector 7 Hath Wrought The Angel' are brill. lol **

**Hmm… As for other musical muses today, they are rather predictable…**

**Original Omen Soundtrack- Ave Satani**

**FFVII- OWA**

**Donny Darko- Whom the bell tolls.**

**Escaflowne - A very old favourite of mine but it never gets old.**

**The Fountain- Together We Will Live Forever.**

**Anywho enough of my ramblings, and on with the fic!**

0o0o0o0o0

Any man or woman who believe '_emotions' and 'feelings'_ to be metaphoric products of the _**human**_ heart, are all very much mistaken. Whilst not possessing a human body that was wholly her own, Gaia nevertheless was a sentient being, and she could feel much joy, as she could weep much sadness. And as the Planet realised her last hope had failed her, Gaia truly feared her end. And with desperation born solely from her need to survive, Gaia secreted her last defence onto the surface of the Planet.

Five armoured xenoforms burst from the bowels of her Lifestream.

_Ruby._

_Sapphire._

_Emerald._

_Ultima…_

And finally…

_Diamond._

Their monstrous cries wracked the three terrains of Gaia.

And Gaia softly smiled to herself.

Her **WEAPONs** had been awakened.

And their one mission...

_To return all human-life back to the Lifestream. _

For the Planet to survive the dark attack of Xenogenesis, _sacrifices_ needed to be made. Gaia had come to the conclusion that mankind was the most selfish race on the Planet. Mankind had the ability to take advantage of everything they touched. They polluted her seas. They raped her lands, and never once thought to give a single whit back in return. And now, with the Planet under threat by the child of Xenogenesis, mankind had to pay a penance for their greed. Now was the time for all human souls to return back to the Planet.

Gaia watched silently as her five WEAPONS unleashed themselves across her world. Ruby flew across her skies, to land in the dusky sands of the southern continent. Gaia knew the moment Sapphire skimmed across her waters, seeking out the closest city it could find to destroy. Gaia smiled softly when Emerald descended deep into her dark oceans. Being an aquatic xenoform by nature, Gaia was reassured that Emerald would successfully return all sea-life back to her core. When Gaia felt the presence of Ultima speeding across her darkening clouds, her faith in her own self defences grew. Gaia knew Ultima's glowing red eyes could target every moving life-form that lived on the surface of her Planet.

And then finally, Gaia turned her unseeing gaze towards her final WEAPON..

Unlike his elementally bound Brothers, Gaia had a specific plan for Diamond. The moment the last WEAPON left the Northern Crater, Gaia issued Diamond a specific target to destroy.

The target was a place. A polluted metropolis that bled too much spiritual power from her spiritual core.

This place… was called _**Midgar.**_

Gaia smiled triumphantly to herself. She knew none of her WEAPONS would fail her. After all, their single purpose in life was to kill, and kill they did well. Gaia realised the more spiritual life that amassed in her Lifestream, meant the greater chance she had of protecting herself from the red wrath of Meteor. Gaia cared not if the entire surface had to be sacrificed in order to survive the madness of the calamity. No monstrous child of Xenogenesis could make Gaia submit! Not even if he attacked her with the most destructive powers of the Cosmos!

As Gaia raised her vision upwards, her unseeing eyes saw a red pinprick of colour descending from the vast corners of space.

Gaia sighed quietly to herself.

It seemed Mankind's extinction was now inevitable.

_**Meteor**_ was on its way.

0o0o0o0o0

**Cosmo Canyon Laboratory**

0o0o0o0o0

"Ho Ho Hoooo!" Bugenhagen, an elderly man of profound wisdom chuckled to himself. The old man was sitting alone, and quite comfortable in the familiar darkness of his holographic laboratory. The elderly man popped his round lenses on his nose, and gazed up at the familiar heavenly bodies of energy resonating above his head. The old astronomer sighed appreciatively in awe. Bugenhagen knew he could never tire of watching the wonders of his optical universe. Using technology created by man, Bugenhagen had seen stars expand into sizes so large, they could eclipse the Planet Gaia at least ten hundred times over! And on rare occasions, the astronomer had seen stars evolve into a beautiful catastrophe of raw colour. Against the black calmness of space, the colourful spectrum of a Supernova was a beautiful vision to behold. Its colour of destruction, born from the breath of a dying star, illuminated the entire cosmos with new shades of life. Bugenhagen always thought it was amazing, how in the starlit heavens, death did not represent the shades of sadness like it did for the people on Gaia. Instead, death was a colourful celebration of life. For each Supernova that burst across the heavens, would then give birth to new clusters of stars. And these tiny stars would shyly blink their young innocent existence against the thick timeless void of space, so that one day, they too would expand, and the cycle of death would become the father of life again.

Bugenhagen sighed pleasurably. Stargazing had always been his most favourite past time. And as the years passed by, many of the intricate constellation had been etched into his old, wise memory.

"Oh ho hooo! What do I see here?"

Peering through his little dark lenses, Bugenhagen watched a tiny red glow blink outwards from the far east of space. Assuming it was just a harmless shooting star, Bugenhagen happily laughed out sweet jollies to himself, and continued on with his pleasant stargazing. But as the red tailed meteorite began to first crash into one Planet, followed by many, many others, Bugenhagen's light chuckling began to fade away.

In all his life, Bugenhagen had never seen a meteor so hungry for blood.

As the large red rock began to expand with a bloodlust for more life, Bugenhagen's eyes widened in disbelief. The demonic red calamity carelessly destroyed each Planet it passed, never once pausing in its great journey of death. Bugenhagen raised a shaking hand to his temple when Pluto and Saturn were blown to smithereens. The old astronomer did not want to watch anymore, but he could not turn his gaze away from the violent mass murder of the planets above. It seemed death was the prevailing theme in the heavens. And as the large red meteor began to descend towards the Planet of Gaia, Bugenhagen heard Gaia's cries as if they had been born from his own heart.

The elderly man dabbed his forehead with growing anxiety.

Having lived a long life, Bugenhagen knew the destiny of all living things. He believed what was born on the Planet, would inevitably die on the Planet. And then all spirits which returned to Gaia would then return to the pool of the Lifestream. The old astronomer knew that Gaia's relentless cycle of death reassured all those living on the Planet, that their spirit would return full circle to live again, _always_.

But this angry Meteor falling from the skies…was a red harbinger of doom…

And it possessed a power so terrible that it could destroy Gaia completely...

With that thought, Bugenhagen's brow began to sweat with fear. The power of the red Meteor was horrendous. It fed from the spiritual life of each Planet it collided into. Bugenhagen knew that without spiritual life, Gaia would inevitably die, and then…the Planet would be no more. The elderly man shuddered to himself. When the optical illusion of Gaia was swallowed up by the blood red madness of Meteor, Bugenhagen had to switch off his machine. Immediately, the optical world of space dissolved away, to shift back into the clinical environment of an old laboratory. The astronomer shook his head and stumbled from his observatory. In the sixty years Bugenhagen had enjoyed stargazing, this was the very first time he had no desire to look up at the sky.

The elderly man stared down at his visibly quaking hands.

Having lived a long life, Bugenhagen knew he had seen many, _many_ things. And because of this, the old astronomer rarely felt the need to fear anything.

But…

Witnessing the entire annihilation of Gaia was enough to make every hair on the astronomer's chin stand on end.

'_And so…. The Planet will be no more…'_

Bugenhagen lowered his gaze to the floor of his laboratory and mentally shivered.

0o0o0o0o0

**Southern Terrains of Planet**

0o0o0o0o0

"What the? Oi Spiky! What the hell is that up 'dere?!" Barret bellowed, as a large, dark form flew across the sky.

Cloud raised his head upwards, just in time to catch the sight of a shadow disappearing into the pale heavens above. "No idea," the blond answered calmly, before flitting his mako tainted gaze back to the ground beneath him. Without a lead of where to go, the leader of Avalanche had parked the Avalanche buggy on the western fields, allowing his team an official break while he tried to think of a plan. The blond warrior looked down at the creased map in his hands, and contemplated on where to go. The Ex-SOLDIER knew Midgar was on his far East, and Wutai was on the far west. And since there was nothing of interest to find on the Southern Continent, Cloud was quickly running out of ideas of where to go. Sephiroth had not given them any clues of where to find him, and Cloud's hopes of finding Aeris had dissolved to almost nothing.

"No idea?" Barret echoed his leader's words, as he looked up at the blue sky, wondering if the large creature would reappear again to attack them.

"Ah don't worry about such shit Barret, it was probably an oversized dragon, or some other mutated piece of whatever."

The burly gunman darted his dark eyes to a certain blond pilot, who was comfortably sprawled out on his back across the grass.

"You think so?" Barret questioned the older blond.

Cid shrugged carelessly, as he casually puffed a trademark cigarette in his mouth. " Ah, who fucking cares what it was Barret. If it didn't come down to attack us, why waste precious time thinking about random crap."

"But I've never seen any-ting 'dat BIG before," Barret bellowed, addressing his entire team, who were all seated near him.

"I have."

Barret turned his dark gaze on Red, who was calmly padding to his side. "When I was a young pup, Grandfather used to show me drawings of Protectors born of the Planet's blood. He told me that when the time came, and the end of the Planet was most imminent, the Guardians of the Planet would all return to aid Gaia. I think what we all saw now, was one of them flying over our heads."

The burly gunman stared at Red as if he had three eyes instead of one. "You're joking right Red? The Planet really has its own Guardians to protect her?"

The red beast nodded softly. "Well, that's what Grandfather used to say. Nearly all his stories came from his translations of the Chronicles of Yore. So I would not dismiss any of his words as nonsense."

Listening in of their conversation, Tifa thought now was the best time to chip her own thoughts in. "Then I guess the Planet's Guardians can't be all that bad, if they were created by Gaia to protect us, right Red?"

The red beast did not seem so sure. "These Guardians protect Gaia yes," Red agreed, as he kept his single eye on the Zangan fighter. "But, if my Grandfather's stories are correct, these Guardians are more commonly known in Ancient myths as WEAPONs. And I don't know about you, but I have never known of a weapon created on this Planet that was _**not**_ made to kill or cause harm to others," Red felt his ears droop as he spoke his words. "Have you?"

The brunette felt her composure waver at the red lion's words. "So these WEAPONS are dangerous?"

Red was about to respond but Cid beat him to it. "Hey guys, I think you're all forgetting something kinda important. We all know our enemy is Sephiroth and his fuck ass powerful Black Materia, so why are we all wasting time thinking about random shit that is flying over our heads? Who fucking cares if what we saw was a WEAPON or not!? That doesn't change the fact that Sephiroth is going to destroy the world if we don't find him! Shouldn't we all be deciding on how to find that megalomaniac bastard instead of wasting time thinking about first class shit?" Again Cid's crude, but wise words could still the entire team to silence.

"Cid is right," Cloud admitted eventually, as he looked out beyond the dull horizon. To the blond warrior, the sky seemed so much darker than it had been yesterday. To him the fading light in the heavens was an ominous sign of a dark future ahead. "We all need to focus on our main target… _**Sephiroth**_, and not be distracted by old wives tales of the past…"

"I'm not so sure Cloud," Red admitted, as he lazily walked over to his leader's side. All the while, his team-mates stared at the large beast in mild confusion. "Grandfather told me how the WEAPONs protected Gaia by herding all life back into her Lifestream. I once thought WEAPONs to be myths of legend…but now… seeing that creature in the sky…" Red shivered to himself. "I am not so sure…"

"These WEAPONS appear to be omens of death," a lugubrious voice murmured to the air. Red turned his head at the Ex-Turk, who was now leaning against the door of their small, yellow buggy. Tifa shivered softly and rubbed her bare arms. The brunette could not understand why the gunman's always had to be so cryptically chilling. It seemed death was the only topic he could contribute to. Tifa mentally shuddered. At times, the gunman really unnerved her. Turning her attention from Vincent, the brunette stood to move in her leader's line of vision. When glowing blue met gentle brown, the martial artist began to speak.

"Cloud? Maybe we should go to Cosmo Canyon. Red's Grandfather might be able to tell us whether or not that thing we saw in the sky is dangerous or not. But more importantly, I think we should go… because Bugenhagen might know of something about the Black Materia… or even how to defeat Sephiroth."

The blond warrior stared calmly at his female companion, before passively turning his gaze back to the dreary horizon. Tifa felt her brow softly crinkle with worry. The brunette knew Cloud had been acting rather odd, ever since they left the small village of Gongaga. In truth, to the brunette, it felt like Cloud was becoming less like the leader of their team, and more like a drifter. Tifa tensed her lips together. Despite his seldom acerbic tongue and silent nature, the brunette knew Cloud was a kind and sensitive soul. Most people seemed to see the swordsman's silence as arrogance but the martial artist knew better.

Unfortunately, a certain wutainese ninja was unable to pick up her leader's sensitivity.

"Hey Blondie! Are you deaf, or maybe you've taken a new liking to sleeping with your eyes open? Hello? Anyone home?" Yuffie remarked loudly from her seated position on the grass. When Cloud did not turn to look at her, the ninja was awfully tempted to throw a piece of gil at his stupid, spiky head. The ninja hated being ignored. "Tifa was expecting an answer out of you. So what's your decision? Where are we all gonna do?"

Mako blue eyes wavered on the sight of the northern horizon. For reasons he could not explain, the direction of the _**North**_……it just seemed so fascinating. "North…" The blond murmured under his breath.

"What did you say? I didn't hear you. Sheesh, you are such a mental spazzo at times," the wutainese ninja commented nastily, with a harsh shake of her head.

"Yuffie!" Tifa called out angrily, reprimanding the teen with a cold glare. "Don't call Cloud such names!"

Yuffie shrugged, and made a raspberry noise at the older female, causing Tifa to frown even more at the cheeky ninja.

"Yea, I think Teef's idea is cool," Barret verbally offered, in an attempt to interrupt the war of the glaring females. The burly gunman soon realised that the blond swordsman had no intention of playing leader at this current time. Not that such matters bothered a man like Barret. The former leader of Avalanche was more than happy to reoccupy his former position, if Cloud was willing to vacate it. And with that thought in mind, Barret began issuing orders for all members of Avalanche to head back to the buggy. Cosmo Canyon was going to be their next stop. The Corelian gunman watched as Tifa and Cid entered the yellow buggy, followed by Red and Yuffie. Barret was about to head inside the yellow vehicle too, until he realised a certain blond swordsman had not even made an attempt to move. Cloud was still gloomily peering out at the lazy sky. The large gunman frowned to himself before walking over to his inert leader.

"Hey Spiky, you coming wit' us or not?" Barret's words temporarily broke the young warrior out of his docile daze.

"Y-yea," Cloud answered quietly to his large team mate, standing up slowly, and making his way towards the yellow buggy. Unconsciously, the blond felt his mako tainted eyes draw themselves back to the direction of the North. And as he looked at the sky, only one thought seemed to rise to the surface of his thoughts. The sun was bleeding out on the grey horizon. And the sight could only mean one thing. Danger was inevitable.

With a painful sigh, the blond swordsman turned his gaze from the morbid heavens, to follow Barret inside the buggy.

And all the while, dark crimson eyes watched the blond swordsman warily.

0o0o0o0o0o0

**Cosmo Canyon Inn**

0o0o0o0o0o0

When Avalanche finally reached the dusty red cliffs of the western continent, it was nearing sunset. Barret parked the yellow buggy outside, and Red guided everyone inside his home. As Tifa walked up the steps, she turned to address the red beast. "Red, I think you should take Cloud with you to see Bugenhagen," Tifa stated kindly, turning to the rest of her team. "We could all meet up by the Cosmo Candle later or something."

"That would be a very good idea Tifa," the red beast agreed, as he turned his head to the blond swordsman standing silently behind him. "Cloud, you still have your PHS, right?" Cloud weakly nodded and lightly patted his pocket. Red turned back to the busty brunette. "So if we need you, we will call."

Tifa nodded and watched Red and Cloud take leave to Bugenhagen's observatory. When they left her sight, she turned her gaze back towards the rest of her team mates. "Ok then guys, I think it would be a good idea if we waited for Cloud and Red at the Candle, and Oh Cid-" the brunette paused as the blond pilot walked past the Cosmo fire, ignoring every word she had just said. "Where are you going?"

"Chill, I'm just running low on my smokes. Don't worry, I will be back long before you guys even have a chance to miss me," the pilot answered with a kind smirk, before comically jogging up the stairs and towards the local Cosmo store.

Tifa shook her head sofly. Sometimes the pilot was the comic relief that Avalanche so desperately needed.

**0o0o0o0o0**

Spotting his Grandfather quietly snoring on a chair, Red carefully padded over to Bugenhagen's side.

"Grandfather?" The red beast said softly, as he nudged the old man's wrist with his large, cold nose. Eventually, a pair of grey eyes opened, to slowly fasten their tired gaze on a four legged creature seated before him.

"Oh Nanaki. I am old, and I have lived a very long life…" the elderly man moaned woefully, shaking his head at the large one eyed beast. "But you….you have not even reached adulthood…You are still only a pup…so young at your modest age of Forty-Eight… How can fate be so cruel to one so young…?"

"Grandfather?" Red uttered softly, as his single eye wavered with genuine concern. He had never seen his Grandfather act so meloncholy, not since his Mother had died during the Gi Tribe raids. "What did the stars show you?"

The elderly man weakly rose himself out of his wicker chair, and wearily walked towards his Cosmo laboratory. "Come inside my laboratory Nanaki, and I will show you," Bugenhagen paused to turn his tired gaze on glowing mako blue. "Of course you can come along too Cloud. This is something you need to see as well."

The blond Ex-SOLDIER nodded softly and followed the pair into the elevator. When the trio reached Bugenhagen's laboratory, both Cloud and Red watched as the elderly man glided towards his optical machine, before turning it on. Suddenly the world of the lab dissolved away, to be replaced with a black universe, bedazzled with colourful stars and planets.

"Now look to the East…to that red moving dot over there. Yes, there. Can you both see it?"

Cloud and Red turned their eyes to a red orb that was burning a long trail of death across the starry sky. Bugenhagen did not need to explain what they were both looking at, for deep down, they already knew. Cloud instinctively shuddered and took a hesitant step backwards in sudden realisation.

'_Its_…'

The swordsman remembered finding the Black Materia inside the Temple of the Ancients…and meeting _**Him**_. Cloud could feel the memories of that dark day coming back to haunt him…

_0o0_

"_Now listen Cloud, once the planet is hurt, _

_it gathers Spirit Energy to heal the injury. _

_The amount of energy gathered there _

_depends on the size of the injury." _

_o_

"_Now tell me Cloud, what would happen_

_if there was an injury that threatened _

_the very life of the Planet? _

_Can you imagine how much energy _

_would be gathered there!?"_

_o_

"_Ha ha ha. And at the centre of that injury, will be __**me**__."_

_o_

"_By merging with all the energy of the planet._

_I will become a new life form, a new existence. _

_When I meld with the planet… _

_I will cease to exist as I am now. _

_Only to be reborn as 'God', to rule over every soul."_

_o_

'_Behold that mural. _

_The __**Ultimate Destructive Magic**__…_

_**Meteor**__." _

_0o0_

Cloud raised a shaking hand to his temple, as he watched the curse of the Black materia flash across the optical heavens. As the blond saw the death and destruction of the planets, his mind was consumed with an infernal madness of guilt. He knew he _rightfully_ deserved to feel such suffering emotions. After all, Cloud knew he had been the one to hand the most deadliest weapon in the universe to Sephiroth!

And now Sephiroth had awakened the Black Materia…

_**Meteor**_ was heading straight to their Planet…

Which meant……

Everyone was going to… _**DIE**_!

And it was… ALL. HIS. DAMN. _**FAULT**_!

As Cloud watched the trailing flame of Meteor soar towards their solar system, one thought assaulted his mind.

'_**FUCK!'**_

"By the speed that Meteor is falling…I would predict mankind has no more than seven days before the Planet is no more…" Bugenhagen admitted sadly.

Red turned shocked eyes on his Grandfather, but Cloud could not turn his gaze from the dark red nightmare moving across the sky. He was completely wracked with guilt. _'Why ?….Why did I give Sephiroth the Black Materia?' _The swordsman's hands trembled, as he watched Meteor blow Pluto to smithereens, followed by Saturn, Jupiter, Mercury….Venus…

"Is there no way to stop it?" Cloud asked in a very quiet voice, in an attempt to hide the shakiness of his tenor. "I mean, since Meteor was summoned by the Black Materia, is there not a way to stop the summoning from reaching this Planet?"

Grey eyes snapped towards the direction of the blond swordsman. "The Black Materia you say?" Now Bugenhagen understood what was happening in the heavens. "So this Meteor… has been drawn here, by the Black Materia's call? But who could be so foolish as to summon the most destructive power in the Cosmos to Gaia?"

And so Cloud explained what happened inside the Temple of the Ancients.

When he finished, the elderly man had turned very pale.

"Bugenhagen, if we defeat Sephiroth, will this stop the course of Meteor?" The swordsman needed to know if there was a chance to save everyone.

"I don't know," Bugenhagen admitted wearily, as he turned the optical machine off and guided everyone back inside the elevator. The blond mentally sighed to himself. "So you say we have seven days left, and then it's all game over?"

Bugenhagen nodded sadly. "Meteor will erase all life on this Planet. Even if Gaia manages to survive the attack, all of mankind will need to die in order to save her."

'_**Fuck,' **_the blond mentally cursed again. He brought a gloved hand over his eyes, in an attempt to conceal the guilt ridden fear that was glowing in his blue mako depths. As the trio reached the bottom level of the elevator, the blond felt reluctant to move. His mind was frozen to the horror that there was only _seven_ _days_ left before the end of the world. "Cloud, I think you need to go and tell the others," Red eventually admitted to his silent, blond companion.

"Yea," Cloud muttered under his breath._ 'Not that them knowing would change the outcome. Hmm, maybe it would be better if no-one knew about this other than Red, Bugenhagen and I. If nothing can be changed to stop the inevitable….why should we spread the bad news? Wouldn't it be better to allow mankind to maintain their ignorance in the last days of their existence, rather than admit the truth, and prolong their despair?'_

The warrior's eyes shadowed over with a growing shame. He had no idea what to do. He turned his gaze towards Bugenhagen who had moved himself from the elevator and was now seated in his favourite chair. The blond had also noticed Red, who had positioned himself at his Grandfather's side. Despite the prediction of the inevitable Apocalypse, Red was still loyally drawn to family. Cloud sighed to himself and turned his gaze inward. The blond knew Red was right. His friends needed to know what was happening to the Planet. But not just his friends…the _entire_ world needed to know of the oncoming calamity which was to befall them.

'_But…how can I burden everyone with the news of the end?'_

'…_Knowing the Planet only has seven days left….'_

_'The truth would bring madness to all…'_

Cloud felt his eyes waver as his thought about his beautiful, dark haired companion. He had no idea how Tifa would take the news of the oncoming Apocalypse. Throughout the years he had known her, his childhood companion had been his secret strength to push him through his most difficult challenges of life. Cloud did not think he had the courage to admit the truth. That…because of him, in seven days…she was going to die. The swordsman's eyes darkened with guilt and shame. If Cloud had the choice, he wished he could conceal the truth of the Apocalypse from everyone. The blond always believed it was better for man to live in ignorance, rather than writhe in the madness of helpless despair.

'_But still….'_

'_This may not be the end... There is still a __**small**__ thread of hope… If I find a way to kill Sephiroth, the summon of Meteor may stop, and then the Planet might be saved from complete annihilation…'_

'_But…'_

'_How can I kill Sephiroth, when I don't even know where to find him!'_

'……_.' _

Thinking about the future was getting him nowhere. And with only seven days to go before Meteor arrived, Cloud realised _now_ was the time to act. But he knew he could not act without having a plan. Sighing painfully, the blond slowly made his way towards the entrance of Bugenhagen's home. He knew he had to tell Avalanche the truth… he just did not know how he was going to do so. Giving one final look at Red and his Grandfather's sorrowful features, the blond turned and left.

0o0

The blond leader of Avalanche found the rest of his team-mates seated around the crackling flame of the Cosmo Candle. When they all turned to look at him, Cloud had to fight the urge to run away. He forced himself to be strong. And so, with a very heavy heart, Cloud sat before his team-mates and told them about the inevitable Apocalypse.

When the blond finished his morbid speech, surprisingly it was Vincent who broke the uncomfortable silence with a cold and murky laugh. "So it seems the WEAPON we all saw today was a genuine omen of death."

Nobody could say anything to deny the truth of the dark gunman's words.

"I guess it was," Cloud agreed quietly, as he watched the flickering flames dance before him.

Crimson eyes glanced over the fire to stare at his pale haired leader. "Cloud, do you believe if we defeat Sephiroth, that Meteor would stop its course?"

"I hope so…" The blond answered uneasily. "Killing Sephiroth is the only hope we have of saving the Planet."

The entire Avalanche team fell silent. It wasn't long before a familiar four legged companion reached their group. "Hey," Cloud greeted the fiery beast who appeared just as dejected as he felt. Red nodded in his leader's direction, before finding a place to sit between Cid and Yuffie. "While you were gone, I spoke to Grandfather about what we saw in the sky today. Now that Meteor is on its way, Grandfather is sure that Gaia has unleashed all her WEAPONS to protect herself against the Calamity.."

"Protect?" Tifa voiced softly. "So they are harmless to humans?"

Red shook his head. "With the Apocalypse now looming over our heads, the WEAPONS will see any living form on the Planet as a potential threat to her survival. It does not help that Shinra has caused more harm than good to the surface of the Planet. In truth, I would not be surprised if Gaia sees humans who use mako energy as an equal threat to Sephiroth." Red's ears flattened themselves against the sides of his head. "So you see, we are in danger of both Gaia's WEAPONS and Sephiroth's Meteor…this is truly a terrible day for us all…"

Each member of Avalanche bowed their heads. All their thoughts of hope had been lost inside the bleak reality of death.

"So what should we do now?" Barret asked after a moment. His voice was uncharacteristically quiet.

"Maybe we should all get some rest." Tifa offered softly. Sleep however was the last thing on her mind. Nevertheless, the brunette tried to hide her loss of hope with thoughts of weak optimism. "You never know, maybe if we all sleep on this problem, one of us might wake up tomorrow with an idea on how to stop the Meteor from falling."

Cid scoffed to himself. "Haha, fat fucking chance of that Tifa. There's more chance of us all dying in our sleep tonight!"

The brunette dipped her head down and bit her lip.

And then a uncomfortable silence settled itself around the Cosmo Candle.

"I guess Tifa is right. We should all turn in for the night…" Cloud mumbled eventually, as he lifted his miserable mako eyes from the flickering fire, to look up at the night sky. "Constantly thinking and worrying about a problem we can't fix is not going to help any of us, nor will it change anything. Hopefully, with enough rest, the morning light might lead us all towards a sign of hope." The blond Ex-SOLDIER shook his head, before standing up and making his way towards the Cosmo Inn.

Cloud knew he was not going to rest a single wink this night.

**0o0**

**Cosmo Canyon Inn **

**0o0**

"_Reunion.."_

Blue eyes tainted with mako power flashed open in the darkness. Bare-chested and sweating, Cloud bolted his body upwards into a sitting position. The young warrior had no idea what had just happened. Had he been dreaming? Or was it a premonition? The Ex-SOLDIER raised a shaking hand to his temple. His mind had been assaulted with images of death. His head had envisioned a world of white corrupted by the blood of mass murder. The warrior's body shuddered and his mind despaired. Whatever he had just seen was irrelevant, for now Cloud had an unconscious urge to move.

"I need to go…" He murmured to himself, as he moved out of the small cot in the Cosmo Inn, to then stand up in the darkness of the room. "…to the _North_…" The warrior knew his feet were not moving on their own accord now. He was now a puppet of fate with no will to call his own. He had to go. He knew he could no longer stay. And so the blond Ex-SOLDIER began to methodically dress himself, while the rest of his team mates slumbered on around him. Finally strapping his great white broadsword onto his back, the golden haired warrior realised he was finally ready to leave. And then, moving like a silent shadow in the night, Cloud passed his slumbering team-mates and left the Cosmo Inn.

In the darkness shrouding the canyon, crimson eyes observed a blond swordsman lumbering past the flickering Cosmo Candle. When the dark watcher realised Cloud was heading towards the main exit of town, the dark gunman decided to make his presence known. Somersaulting down before the now stunned swordsman, Vincent Valentine stopped the blond warrior in his tracks.

"Where are you going Cloud?"

The blond warrior froze, to stare up at a tall, dark gunman, whose crimson mantle was flapping ominously in the wind. "I have to go now Vincent," Cloud voiced calmly, as his mako tainted orbs turned towards the direction of the North. The gunman gazed at the leader of Avalanche in calm curiosity.

"Go where?" Vincent asked him quietly.

"I just need to go," The blond shrugged and bypassed the dark gunman. Vincent blinked slowly.

'_Is Cloud sleepwalking?'_

"Cloud, where do you need to go in the dead of night?" Vincent murmured, blocking the blond's path yet again.

Within the darkness of the canyon, Cloud felt his resolve begin to waver. "I need to go to _**Him **_Vincent."

"To _**Him**_?" Vincent felt his brow furrow softly. The vision of violent mako green eyes flashed in his memory. "You mean to Sephiroth…?"

The blond weakly nodded. Now he was wavering on his feet. For reasons he could not understand, the warrior was beginning to feel very ill.

'_W-what is happening to me?'_

The Ex-Turk furrowed his brows in calm confusion. "Cloud, how do you even know where Sephiroth is? Is he nearby?" The gunman frowned to himself. Vincent knew his demonic instincts could not pick up the presence of Lucrecia's son anywhere nearby.

The blond shook his head and raised a shaky hand towards the light of the moon, who was gleaming a cold white shadow across the dark heavens above . "I just know Sephiroth is out there…and I feel _**him**_ inside of me. …He's been waiting for me…And I must go to _**him**_."

The blond warrior raised a hand to his temple, and shuddered dangerously on his feet. The migraines were back again, and getting so much worse.

'_**Reunion.'**_

Cloud dropped down to the ground on his knees. He did not know was happening. He had never felt so helpless.

'_Am…I… losing my mind..?'_

'_**My Reunion is at hand…'**_

'_What…are..'_

'_**Come to the North puppet and you will find me…'**_

'_These voices…'_

'_**You want to find me, don't you?'**_

"…in my head?" The blond murmured through gritted teeth.

'_**Hahaha, but then I forget…you were always the weakest, weren't you Cloud…?'**_

"Cloud," The gunman was suddenly at his leader's side. "Are you alright?" he asked uneasily, as he used his human hand to touch the blond's tense shoulder.

The blond warrior shook his head weakly, and tried to stand up. "Do you not hear the _**voices**_?" Cloud murmured to the black moonlit sky. "I can hear them in my head… And they are telling me to go to _**him**_…that is why I must go…now.. to the _North_…..to the N-North…" The blond struggled to his feet and began to weakly walk forward. He had barely taken three steps when his legs buckled out beneath him. When Cloud's eyes rolled into the back of his skull, Vincent swiftly dashed forward to catch the blond. The gunman winced sharply at the weight of the unconscious swordsman in his arms. Even though Cloud had a tiny frame, the broadsword strapped on his back was _**far**_ from _light. _Vincent was amazed how the young warrior could wield such a heavy and cumbersome blade on the field, let alone in battle. The sword was _monstrously_ heavy. The Ex-Turk knew he would be severely handicapped if he carried a burdensome weapon around with him all the time.

Releasing a melancholy sigh, Vincent carefully placed the blond down onto the dark and dusty ground. The gunman truly had no idea what had happened to the young warrior. The only conclusion Vincent could come to, was that Cloud had became mentally crippled, due to the burden of Sephiroth's madness and the Calamity of Meteor. Not that the gunman could blame the teen for breaking down. Vincent knew in the past, he might have been afraid of the Planet's impending doom too. But now, with his beloved Lucrecia long gone from his world, the Apocalypse's bittersweet promise of silent oblivion seemed a tempting source of freedom for a dark soul such as Vincent Valentine. To him, Death was a escape from the pains of living without her. Eternal oblivion would free him from all his sorrow…his suffering…and loneliness…

Vincent sighed wearily. He knew he was the only man on the Planet who would welcome death with open arms. Life no longer possessed a real meaning to him anymore…

Shaking his head at his own morbid thoughts, the gunman's attention was drawn back to the unconscious Ex-SOLDIER laying before him. Under the light of the moon, Cloud looked so young..

So fragile...

The gunman's eyes wavered softly, before ascending his gaze upwards to stare at the cold moon above. On a rare night, when his mind was not mourning the past, Vincent sometimes paused to ponder about the purpose of the moon. The gunman wondered what the moon felt when she stared down at a Planet, which gave birth to so many lost and broken stories. Vincent had always perceived the moon to be a silent spectator, a cold maiden of the night, who watched the midnight activities of men who were unable to find inner peace in the calm stillness of the dark. But…as Vincent gazed up at the cold and white lonely orb, the gunman realised a dark secret about the white mistress of the sky. Something no one else seemed to see but him.

The moon was a _false white sun. _

A shadow of _false_ _hope_.

In truth, the moon could not create her own real light at all. Instead she was a cruel parody of her brother the sun. Her cold white gaze did not possess the gift to strengthen, nor grant light to a world shrouded by the darkness of man.

The gunman chuckled mirthlessly to himself.

Now it seemed all too fitting for lunacy to be named after the Goddess of the moon. Unlike the sun, the moon could not offer any real warmth, and yet man was still drawn to her cool white light above. Vincent felt his lips curl upwards. It seemed all men who looked at the moon were fools…for lunacy was the only gift a moon could offer. For in the immense darkness of space, one tiny moon meant nothing in the vastness of the black. The moon did not possess the power to guide any man towards the hopes of a brighter future. And yet, many men, just like himself, still looked up to her night sky. Man was still drawn in by the fake and glimmering light in the darkness.

Vincent chuckled humourlessly to himself, before reaching down to drag the unconscious body of Cloud back towards the direction of Cosmo Inn. As the gunman gently pulled the blond along, he mildly wondered about his leader's current obsession with the sky.

'_The shadow of the moon seems to favour the way of the North…there must be a reason for this..'_

The gunman smiled to himself.

The answer seemed obvious.

"_The North will probably be where the madness of Death begins…"_

0o0o0o0

**Northern Crater**

0o0o0o0

As the Lifestream burst out from a deep chasm inside Gaea's cliffs, two black clothed figures were spat out and onto the rough terrains inside the Northern Crater. Aeris cringed weakly, and carefully brought herself onto to her knees, coughing up clogs of water from her throat. After diving into the seas of the Sanctuary, and travelling through the glowing tunnels of the lifestream, the brunette's entire body was now completely soaked through. Despite her thick leather garbs, Aeris could not stop shivering. She raised a trembling hand to her face, and brushed her dark, wet bangs from her vision. It was so cold, and she could not stop shaking.

Instinctively, her large green eyes darted to her side where a silver haired teen was sprawled facedown on the dark ground beside her. If it was not for the slight rise and fall of his chest, the flowergirl might have believed the unconscious boy to be _dead_! Ignoring the pain of her sore muscles, the brunette crawled over to Kadaj, and called out his name. But the youth did not awaken. The flowergirl shuddered with growing worry. When Kadaj was taken over by Sephiroth, Aeris knew that Loz had knocked him unconscious to protect her. Because of this, the brunette was terribly afraid of shaking the teen awake, lest she cause further harm to his injured skull.

Aeris gnawed her lip anxiously.

Another thought troubled her too.

The brunette did not know what she would do if Kadaj woke up with _**His**_ eyes staring right back at her.

The brunette shook her head.

She had to stop focussing on her worries, and instead draw her mind back to the reality of what she had accomplished.

'_To save Kadaj I…I overcame my fears…'_

'_I dived into the water…and let the currents guide me…'_

'_Into the veins of the lifestream…'_

'_And now…'_

'_I'm back on the surface of the Planet.' _

'_I got Kadaj out of the Sanctuary…'_

'_But… now, I don't know where to go…'_

'…_or what to do..'_

The flowergirl's instincts advised her to wait for Yazoo. She really hoped he was doing ok against his Brother Loz. She did not want to imagine the horror the gunman was experiencing having to fight a member of his own family. Aeris could only pray for the safety of both warriors.

Drawing her attention back to the unconscious teen on the ground, the brunette knew she had to tend to Kadaj. Carefully bringing the teen's head onto her lap, Aeris felt tears rise to the corners of her eyes when she saw rusted flecks of blood staining the back of the teen's silvery head.. Seeing the young warrior so weak and in pain was breaking her heart. When she stroked the teen's pale face with long and gentle fingers, the brunette felt her gentle heart tremble with sorrow. Kadaj did not deserve any of this, and Aeris mentally despaired when she thought about Sephiroth's dark desires. For Sephiroth to wish death on a child to feed his ascension to godhood only justified the truth of the Planet's words.

Before…Aeris never wanted to believe the words of her Mother Ifalna. But now…seeing Kadaj wounded in her arms, reality was staring her right in the face. The flowergirl could not deny the words of the Planet any longer. Aeris knew she had been a fool to think _**he**_ could be redeemed by mere words alone. But her foolish love for _**Him **_had blinded her from the cold and brutal truth.

'_I have lost him to the madness…'_

The brunette's eyes quivered with grief and shame. Aeris knew she did not possess the power to save an angel wrought of evil. She could speak no words which could bring _**Him**_ back to the light. The flowergirl knew at one time, she might have been able to fight Sephiroth's darkness if he possessed the warm, beating heart of a human….but …that was no longer the case. Aeris knew she was unable to fight a man who bore the cold beating heart of a _**Monster!**_

Aeris knew she could no longer delude herself of the truth…

She had to accept the cold and cruel fact of life…

_**Sephiroth…**_

_**He did not possess the emotional capacity to **__**love**__** anyone, or anything.**_

_**He could only… **_

_**Hate….**_

_**Hurt…**_

_**Harm…**_

_**And Destroy…**_

And with that painful realisation, Aeris bowed her head over Kadaj and wept.

0o0

Aeris did not know how long she waited inside the dark cave when a large gush of Lifestream burst out from the dark chasm before her. Her wide eyes turned even wider, when a dark form flew out of the gushing green, to crash down solidly on the cold, black ground beside her. At the sight of familiar black leather and long silvery hair, the brunette instinctively began to smile with relief, until she realised something was certainly not right with the unusually inert gunman.

"Yazoo?"

At the first sight of crimson, Aeris felt all blood rush from her face, and her eyes quivered in horror.

She did not know what traumatised her more.

The _blood_ that was quickly _**pooling**_ around the unconscious gunman!

Or..

The _sword_ that was _**impaled**_ through his chest!

The sight of both violent horrors caused the brunette to scream out bloody murder. "Oh my God! Yazoo!" Aeris hastily slipped Kadaj off her lap and rushed over to the heavily bleeding gunman. She could not believe it. Two blades were jutting out of his skin. Her wide eyes flitted up to the warrior's pale and lifeless features. The brunette brought her hand over her mouth and began to visibly shake in terror.

'_Yazoo..' _

_He can't be…'_

'_Is he….?'_

'_Dead?'_

Aeris shakily removed the dark blindfold from the gunman's face. When the dark fabric was brushed aside, Aeris stared at the warrior's closed lids, or more specifically his silvery lashes, which were painting soft filigree shadows of weakness across his pale white skin. Biting her lip in apprehension, Aeris very fearfully placed two fingers to the column of Yazoo's pale throat. She searched for a sign of hope that life had not left his bleeding form. Tears blossomed down her face when she felt an uneven pulse, albeit weak, palpitating beneath her pale fingertips. The brunette trembled with relief. But her scared green eyes caught the crimson gleam of two bloodied blades, and her relief was chased away with rising horror. Aeris had no idea what to do. The brunette knew she could not risk pulling the sword out of the gunman's chest. She could not dare. For she knew if she did, Yazoo would very likely bleed to death…

"Ugh. Shit it hurts… My head hurts like a _**fucking**_ bitch.."

Hearing a certain familiar voice, Aeris visibly jumped in surprise. She whipped her head around to stare into the bloodshot eyes of Kadaj. When the young warrior realised who was staring at him, all his dry cursing stopped. "M-mother?" The teen's eyes wavered, as he tried to see the dark haired beauty before him, but his vision was drastically failing him. For reasons he could not understand, he could see five blurry figures of his Mother sat before him. The teen grabbed his head and groaned in pain. Aeris felt her heart pang at the sight of the teen's suffering and quickly embraced the youth to her chest. She shakily smiled at the teen in her arms, relieved to know that Kadaj was now here with her and not **Him**. But her smile did not last long. And as the teen blearily stared up at her in weak confusion, Aeris suddenly had the urge to cry again. "Kadaj…Your Brother..-Yazoo.. He is behind me and he's," Aeris had to close her eyes. "-he's-_**very**_ badly hurt. I-I don't know if he will make it."

"Huh?" The teen blinked. His concussion was not helping him to make sense of the words that were coming from his Mother's mouth. He was sure his Mother had said something about Yazoo being behind her. And so Kadaj struggled to look over his Mother's shoulder. When he did, it did not matter that his brain was pulsing a terrible rhythm of pain. Any strong-willed warrior could look past the physicality of pain when their minds witnessed a vision so horrendous.

Inescapable crimson filled his blurry vision.

And the teen's face vaulted in white horror.

"Big Brother…" Kadaj's voice wavered weakly. Despite his blurry vision failing him, the young warrior could see Yazoo laying on his side, unconscious, and bleeding out all his life blood across the cold, stone floor.

The teen's eyes dilated at the sight of two viper blades of an all too familiar dual sword, speared right through his Brother's torso!

'_Souba?'_

'_Why is Souba in Yazoo?'_

Forgetting his own pains of delirium, Kadaj painfully crawled over to his wounded, older Brother. "Brother?" the teen voiced weakly, as he gently shook the gunman's arm in an attempt to rouse him. "Wake up Brother. Wake up."

The teen shook him a little more.

But the gunman did not move.

Kadaj felt a new source of fear grip his chest.

"Come on, Brother, this isn't funny now. I know you are much stronger than this." The teen shook the gunman a little harder. For reasons he could not understand, Kadaj felt a icy trail of panic seize his chest. Suddenly, Kadaj was finding it very difficult to draw breath. '_W-what is this feeling inside me?'_ The teen had never experienced such a powerful feeling of fear for anyone other than his beloved Mother. But as Kadaj watched more of his Brother's life blood spread out across the ground between them, the young warrior felt an all too familiar sting of tears, threatening to blur his vision.

The teen was getting desperate now. He was beginning to get very upset. "Yazoo, wake up!" He yelled in his face. But the gunman remained still as death, and the teen could only fear the worst. "Oh just move you damn lazy fuck!" The teen cried out in desperate frustration, violently shaking his older Brother. But no matter what Kadaj did, the long haired warrior did not awaken.

Giving the gunman one final shake, the teen tearfully watched as Yazoo's lifeless face lolled down to one side, shrouding his facial features in the dark shadows of his long, pale hair.

Realising he possessed no power to rouse his Brother, Kadaj turned wide and wavering eyes onto his Mother. When a single tear trickled down his face, Aeris felt her own heart crumple with pain. "Brother isn't waking up Mother. Why Mother? Why won't Yazoo wake up?"

Aeris embraced the young teen. Tears were slipping down her face to land on top of the young teen's head. Like Kadaj, the brunette could only assume the worst. And as the flowergirl watched another splash of blood drip from Souba, Aeris closed her eyes and violently shuddered in pain.

"D-do you think Yazoo will die Mother?" Kadaj voice wavered quietly, unable to conceal the nervousness of his own voice. Aeris nearly choked on her own tears when she heard the teen's heartbreaking question. The brunette held Kadaj even tighter against her body. She knew he was shaking just as much as her. She could feel his fear for his Brother as if it was her own. "I don't know Kadaj," Aeris murmured brokenly, causing more tears to slip down her face. "I just don't know."

"But I don't want Yazoo to die Mother…" Kadaj whispered weakly, as he tearfully stared back at his older Brother. The teen had never seen his Big Brother so badly wounded before. His fingers trembled around his Mother's waist. Aeris bit her lip and brushed her lips on top of the teen's head. "Nor do I Kadaj…nor do I."

0o0

A bawling Remnant and sobbing flowergirl were the sounds that awoke Yazoo from his dark and painful slumber. Despite the delirious pain consuming every sense in his mind, the gunman forced himself to open his eyes, to then blearily stare up at the crying pair beside him. Lost in their own sorrow, neither Kadaj nor Aeris seemed to be aware of his awakening. The pale warrior weakly twisted his lips with growing distaste. "To cry like that, you two…are truly… pathetic," Yazoo paused, and hissed viciously in pain. By the Gods his shoulder was killing him! The pale gunman ignored the two wide pairs of eyes that had now latched themselves onto his bleeding person. Yazoo was more concerned in trying to get himself into a sitting position, but he was failing badly. With Kadaj's sword in his shoulder, it was restraining all movement on the right side of his torso. When his mako tainted eyes flitted upwards, he was now aware that Aeris and Kadaj had stopped sobbing, but now their eyes were glinted with new tears of relief.

"Why is everyone around me turning into weak cry-baby Lozzes?" At the thought of his elder Brother, Yazoo felt his mind darken with shame at his own words. _'Forgive me Brother…but I was not strong enough to protect you.'_

And then the emotional damn broke.

"Yazoo!" Aeris and Kadaj cried out in gleeful unison, as they rushed towards to embrace the wounded gunman, but Yazoo shakily held a hand up to keep them both away.

"Big Brother…" Kadaj uttered weakly, as his blurry vision stared at the bloody mess that was his Brother. Even though his vision was damaged from his concussion, Kadaj was still aware that his older Brother was _very_ badly hurt. "Let me help you."

"I-I'm fine," Yazoo murmured carelessly, ignoring the flowergirl and his Brother's apparent look of disbelief.

"That's bullshit Brother," Kadaj exclaimed, while Aeris nodded beside him. "You are bleeding out everywhere."

"Kadaj… shut. up," Yazoo groaned in pain, and tried to sit up again to no success. Souba was paralysing his right side completely. The gunman realised that if he wanted to move, the sword had to go. And with that thought in mind, Yazoo grinned weakly to himself. With a violent grimace, the gunman moved his left arm behind his back to then slowly and rather painfully extract the twin blade from his wounded torso. As he pulled, crimson pain pooled down his chest, staining his pale skin and mixing with the dark leather of his jacket. But the wet and wounded warrior paid it no need. When he successfully removed the sword, Yazoo released a nervous breath, and held the twin blade out in front of him with a weak and shaky arm.

Raising his pain tainted orbs to meet the horrified faces of Kadaj and Aeris, the gunman forced himself to faintly smile at them both. "You forgot your sword Little Brother." Yazoo murmured weakly, as he threw the bloodied weapon at the teen's feet, before clutching his open wound with his left hand.

Kadaj gaped at Yazoo in awe and disbelief. He ignored Souba at his feet and watched in horror as Yazoo collapsed back to the bloodied ground.

"Yazoo!" Kadaj exclaimed softly, as he rushed over to his wounded sibling. "Are you alright?"

"I will be fine Kadaj," Yazoo answered wearily, as his eyes opened and closed softly. "…I just…need…a moment to rest…"

The young teen frowned. "You better not die on me Yazoo. If you do, I will kill you myself."

The gunman smiled and closed his eyes slowly. That line was something he would have expected to hear from Loz…

_Loz…_

"Yazoo…?" Aeris asked softly

Even with his eyes closed, Yazoo was aware that the brunette had knelt herself at his just like Kadaj.

"Where is Loz?"

When Yazoo heard the flowergirl's words, he contemplated on not answering her. But when Kadaj asked the same question moments after, the older male knew he could never deny his younger Brother anything.

"Loz won't be coming with us," Yazoo admitted quietly, as he opened his eyes to look at the two individuals knelt beside him. Hearing his words, Aeris eyes welled up with new tears of sorrow. The sight of them caused the gunman to turn his gaze away from her. Yazoo could not comprehend why a stranger could weep over someone they did not properly know. Aeris had no close relation with Loz so her emotional response to his death seemed highly inappropriate. In the past, the brunette's fake sadness for his older Brother would have angered him, but Yazoo knew he did not have the energy to waste on such a useless female. The gunman knew he needed to focus his mind on only two factors.

_1) Escape._

_2) Healing_

Yazoo realised they all had to go.

"Kadaj be useful and help me up," the bleeding warrior murmured to his younger sibling. At any other time, Kadaj would have argued back at Yazoo for demanding anything of him in such a callous tone, but as things were so dire, Kadaj did exactly what his older Brother said. When Kadaj helped Yazoo stand up, Aeris nearly had a heart attack when the gunman wavered dangerously on his feet. It looked like he was going to fall again. But Kadaj was at his Brother's side, kindly maintaining his balance. When the gunman was confident enough to stand on his feet, Yazoo ushered the teen away from him, and Kadaj did so, albeit reluctantly. Holding his wounded shoulder with his left hand, Yazoo stumbled past the brunette and away from the deep crevasse where the lifestream roared beneath them. Both Kadaj and Aeris watched in mutual confusion when Yazoo stumbled towards a knocked over black motorcycle that neither Kadaj nor she had seen in their neighbouring vicinity.

'_Of course we didn't see it, because we were both too scared of Yazoo dying.'_

Pulling the bike upright with a weak grimace, Yazoo looked at the black machine before his mako tainted eyes caught the sight of Kadaj's inventory bag dangling off the handle. The gunman's eyes glowed in appreciation. Grabbing the dark satchel off the bike, the pale warrior planted Kadaj's bag on the seat of the bike before searching through the contents of it. It wasn't long before Yazoo found exactly what he had been looking for. Holding the pale green orb to his face, Yazoo eyed the crystallised source of curative power between two gloved fingers. In his current condition, Yazoo knew he did not possess the strength to summon even the weakest materia spell. He cursed his physical condition, before darting his mako tainted eyes on his younger Brother who was blearily looking in his direction.

"Catch Kadaj," Yazoo remarked calmly, as he calmly threw the green Restore materia at his younger Brother. The teen moved his gloved hands out to catch the green orb…

And _**missed **_it completely!

The gunman blinked in surprise when his usually adept brother fumbled his fingers in the air. The small green stone bounced to the dark ground, once, twice, three times, to then eventually roll to a dangerous stop by the dark crevasse, where the Lifestream continued to rage below.

Yazoo turned his eyes up at Kadaj.

"I'm really sorry Brother," the teen apologised as he grasped his head in pain. "My...brain hurts too much to see, do, or cast anything.. I'm sorry."

Yazoo gritted his teeth in irritation. He knew it was not Kadaj's fault that Loz had given him a pretty bad concussion. Still this knowledge was not a help to him. The gunman turned angry cold eyes to the flower maiden standing at the young teen's side. "You can still use Materia, right? Or are you mentally disabled as well?"

Aeris stared back at Yazoo as if he had said something most rude. "Of course I can!" And to prove her point, the brunette snatched the orb from the ground and began chanting the strongest healing spell she could possibly manage. Soon wave upon wave of healing energy settled over their group. Instantly Kadaj and Yazoo felt some of their vitality return to them. Nevertheless, despite the cure spell, Yazoo knew his wound had not stopped bleeding, and Kadaj's mind had not stopped pulsing in pain.

"I'm sorry, that is the best I can do," Aeris apologised, realising that her energy had reached an all time low. All her running inside the Sanctuary had nearly drained her of all her curative magicks.

Yazoo sent the brunette a dark look before wearily shaking his head. "You… are completely worthless," The gunman grumbled to himself, ignoring Kadaj's cry of rage, before leaping on the large, dark motorcycle. The wound in his shoulder was still painfully drawing attention to itself, but Yazoo knew he could not do anything about it for now. Starting the engine quickly, the gunman turned to the pair staring at him. "Get on, both of you. We need to go."

The brunette blinked at the gunman in surprise. "But you are still hurt," Aeris replied weakly, as she walked up to the dark cycle. "Yazoo, you shouldn't ride if you are still bleeding…"

"It doesn't matter whether I am bleeding or not. There is no time ," Yazoo answered in a tense tone. "We all need to get out of here. Since Kadaj is concussed and you cannot drive, that leaves only me. And unless you want Sephiroth to catch up with us, I highly recommend we get away from the Crater as quickly as we can."

Aeris shivered. As always, Yazoo was right. She weakly nodded at him and allowed Kadaj to help her up on the bike while he sat himself behind her. Now sandwiched between the two leather clad warriors, Aeris gulped uneasily. The last time she sat on a bike, she made a promise to herself never to ride with Yazoo ever again. As Yazoo began to rev the engine, Aeris realised the last time she said that, she had lied to herself.

And then they were off!

The bike ride was a stuff of nightmares. If Aeris thought her first experience riding with Yazoo was terrible, her second experience was almost eclipsing the screaming horrors of the first. Yazoo drove through the Northern Crater as if a banshee was biting at their heels. He sacrificed every ounce of grace for relentless speed. Aeris' black gloved fingers instinctively dug themselves around the gunman's waist. She heard the gunman grunt in pain, and the brunette felt almost guilty for causing the wounded warrior more harm. But she had to cling onto him because she did not want to fall off! From behind her, Aeris could feel Kadaj's arms wrapped around her own waist, much like hers were wrapped around Yazoo's. Aeris knew there was no space between them for modesty nor personal space. As the walls of the Northern Cave blurred past her vision, the brunette turned her gaze forward, before resting her forehead against the gunman's back. And then, Aeris closed her eyes, and tried to focus on anything, other than the thought of vomiting.

0o0

When a gust of blistery wind clipped her face, the flowergirl opened her eyes, and realised that Yazoo had driven them out of the dark cave and straight into a snowy blizzard. Aeris snapped her eyes shut as a thick glob of white temporarily blinded her vision. The snow was falling heavily down around them, and did not look like it would stop anytime soon.

As the motorbike began a vertical scale down the walls of Gaea's cliff, Aeris clung to Yazoo for all she was worth. Impending death was written across her features. Sensing her Mother's fear, Kadaj tried to console her. The brunette felt the young teen squeeze her middle in a comforting gesture, temporarily distracting her from their dangerous drive. The moment Kadaj's hot breath blew the side of her side, Aeris felt her attention momentarily withdrawn from the horror of her death descent, and more towards the enamoured puzzle that could only be Kadaj. "Don't worry Mother, everything is gonna be alright," he shouted in her ear. Kadaj knew he had to speak loudly, to fight the sound of the thrashing winds and the roaring engine of their motorcycle. "You already know I will always protect you. And I'm sure Yazoo will too. Please trust us Mother."

Aeris closed her eyes. She did not have to think about trust. Yazoo had long since won her trust the moment he had saved her from falling to her death on Gaea's cliffs. Kadaj on the other hand had grown on her ever since they journeyed through the forests of the Northern continent. But despite the trust she felt for both warriors, Aeris could not stop feeling afraid. Even when they reached the bottom of Gaea's cliff and their ride became more horizontal, the brunette shuddered with fear.

"!"

When Yazoo swore aloud, Aeris felt her heart leap up in fear. Suddenly with no warning, the gunman pulled their bike to a sudden halt in the snow "We've ran out of petrol…" Yazoo cursed loudly, as the snowy storm continued to angrily blow over their heads. Raising a gloved hand to block the falling white flakes from his vision, Yazoo's mako tainted eyes surveyed the white expanse before him. The gunman thought they could have at least make it to the first town. But he had overestimated the capability of the motorbike. It seemed the vehicle was not made to carry three riders. And now they were all stranded on the white terrains of the Great Glacier.

'No petrol?' Aeris turned horrified eyes on Yazoo.

"Guess we will have to walk then," Kadaj stated calmly, as he sluggishly dropped off the back of the bike. His head was still throbbing a violent tune of nausea. The blurry bike ride had not helped his whirling mental condition. Nevertheless, despite his suffering, Kadaj gently helped his Mother off the cycle and onto the crisp snow. The teen was ready to aid his wounded older Brother, but Yazoo slipped off the bike effortlessly, before removing all the equipment he had stored in the bike's inventory. Yazoo threw Kadaj his bag of equipment, followed by Aeris' half frozen clothes.

"So…where do we go?" Aeris asked quietly to the pale gunman. The warrior did not answer her. He simply looked Southwards and Aeris squinted her eyes to see any colour or figure in the distance. But it was hopeless. It did not matter where she looked. Snow was all she could see. Everything was pure white. She could barely see her own hand in front of her, and to prove her own mental theory, the brunette raised her left gloved hand to her vision. Suddenly, her left hand was drawn from her face, and the brunette blinked in surprise. Her lips lilted into a gentle smile when she realised Kadaj had kindly latched her leather clad fingers in his own pale ones. It appeared that Kadaj had no intention of losing his Mother in the snowy blizzard. The brunette's eyes then experienced another unexpected surprise when her other hand was snatched from her right side. Aeris turned her gaze downwards to look at the dark gloved hand held tightly against her own. Her cheeks flushed in surprise, before shyly staring up at the passive faced gunman who was now holding her hand. His facial features remained bland of all emotion, and when Yazoo tugged her hand, Aeris allowed him to guide her and Kadaj away from their motorcycle to brave themselves through the cold and bitter snow.

0o0

By the time the trio had found the entrance of a small cave, the sky was tingeing to dusk. Slipping his hand from the flowergirl, Yazoo slipped inside the entrance of the dark cave. His tired mako tainted eyes looked inside for any potential signs of danger. Seeing nor sensing none, he guided Kadaj and the flowergirl inside.

Aeris blinked as she looked inside the dark cave. She could barely see anything. Kadaj immediately flopped down on one of the frozen rugs that had been left by a previous traveller. The teen did not care that the rough material was making him feel more cold than warm. He was just glad to be no longer moving. After all, walking and biking were never good hobbies to practise when you were suffering from a brain splitting concussion. The teen noticed that his Mother was struggling in the darkness. He knew what he could do to help her. Rummaging through his dark satchel, the teen grasped the a couple of pieces of materia. He activated them before throwing each coloured orb in different corners of the cave. Now the cave had light.

The flowergirl smiled in appreciation at the younger teen, and looked around the cave properly. Unlike the previous cave Aeris had shared with Kadaj and Yazoo, this one was much, much bigger. The brunette wouldn't have been surprised if she could fit at least 8 Yazoo's inside and still have room to spare. The brunette caught Kadaj's mako tainted eyes looking at her. Smiling at him gently, the flowergirl sat down beside him and began going through his bag, looking for blankets to keep them both warm, before passing the bag back to the teen.

While Kadaj and Aeris tended to each other, Yazoo was the first one of them to latch their attention on the cold remains of an old fire. Drawing his attention to his younger Brother, Yazoo asked Kadaj to hand his inventory bag over. The teen did so without question. Even though Kadaj's aim was shoddy due to his concussion, the gunman caught the bag with ease.. Looking inside, Yazoo cursed at the lack of materials they could use to burn. Everything seemed much too valuable for their survival. Yazoo pulled out all the food rations Loz had stocked inside along with the blankets, medicine and full containers of water.

_Loz_… Yazoo felt his eyes flicker with painful memories of his older Brother. The pale warrior mentally shook his head. The gunman knew there was no time to regret actions of the past. If he wanted to live, he had to look to the future. And so Yazoo continued to look for more burning materials. Unfortunately there was nothing suitable to burn. Yazoo sighed in mild irritation. Using the remains of burnt wood from the dead fire, Yazoo created a tiny fire using Kadaj's fire materia. The burning embers sparked gently and the gunman frowned to himself. With so little wood to keep it blazing, Yazoo could not see the flames lasting long. Before the next hour passed, the gunman knew someone would need to find more wood. The gunman sighed and sat himself near the fire, jostling his wounded shoulder in the process. The warrior winced painfully but made no sound.

Self consciously, the gunman's mako tainted eyes flickered towards the pair on the other side of the fire. Kadaj nor Aeris seemed to notice his suffering. They were too wrapped up in taking care of each other. Yazoo turned his eyes away from them and looked towards the entrance of the cave. The gunman assumed that since he was so used to doing everything for everyone, he might as well be the one to brave the cold blizzard outside. It did not matter whether he was still bleeding or not.

_Nothing_ really mattered.

And with that thought in mind, Yazoo began to wonder…

'_If nothing matters…'_

'_Why am I trying so hard to survive….?'_

'_Why am I even trying to live…?'_

Yazoo gazed across the fire to peer at his little Brother. Kadaj had comfortably nestled himself by his '_beloved_' Mother's side, sharing his body heat with hers. He had made sure to pile every blanket in their possession on them both to keep the weak woman warm. The gunman was sure they had not even left a single blanket for him. Not that such things surprised him.

The gunman's eyes began to dull with pain. Yazoo could see the giant grin on the teen's face as he spoke random nonsense to the brunette. In truth, the gunman had never seen his little Brother so happy.

'_I guess…..Kadaj no longer needs me…'_

'_Not when he has __**Her**__..'_

The gunman turned his head away from the happy blanketed pair, and began the simple and methodical task of heating up a pan of water before their weak fire died out completely.

'_I have no reason to be here anymore…Not when Kadaj has __**her**__ around.'_

Decision made, the pale haired gunman stood up, making a considerable effort to conceal the agony of his wounded shoulder from view. When Yazoo made an approach to leave the tent, the gunman felt wide green eyes turn on him. The pale warrior did not even attempt to look at _**Her**_. Instead he weakly gestured his head towards the dying fire. "Need more wood.." he mumbled distantly, as he stared at the entrance of the cave, seeing the inevitable white that would soon greet him.

The brunette nodded at him. "Thank you Yazoo," Aeris answered gently, causing the gunman to momentarily pause to look at her in bewilderment. This was the second time the brunette had thanked him, and it made him feel strange. Mentally shaking off his own confusion, the pale gunman left the cave to brave the artic winds of Gaia.

Yazoo knew he had no intentions of returning.

White oblivion would be his final destiny.

0o0

Now that Yazoo had left, Aeris took her time to address the back of Kadaj's head injury. Using the water that Yazoo had boiled and a white piece of cloth, Aeris began the slow and tedious task of cleaning away the congealed blood, from the back of Kadaj's silvery head. The young warrior hissed every now and then, but it was clear he was making a conscious effort not to visibly cry out in front of his Mother. When the brunette had finished tending him, Aeris placed the rust coloured fabric down and embraced the shivering teen at her side.

"Mother?" Kadaj voiced softly. He tried to look at her. Even now his vision was making him see three faces of the woman holding him.

The brunette pulled back from the young teen so that she could properly look at him. "Yes Kadaj?"

"Can you tell me what happened in the Sanctuary. I…I cant remember a thing," the teen mumbled softly, rubbing the back of his sore head. His vision had still not cleared up, but at least he could think coherently without being in too much pain.

The brunette's eyes darkened from her memory of the Sanctuary. "It was no longer safe for us to stay. That is why we left,"

"Oh..." Kadaj answered simply, as he stared up at his Mother's troubled face. He was sure there was more to the tale, but his pounding head would not let him ponder that thought any longer.

Then another thought came to him. "Mother?"

Aeris stared back at him. "Hmmm?"

"What is the Reunion?"

Aeris felt her blood freeze. The last thing she wanted to think about was Sephiroth's psychotic orgy of death. "It's nothing Kadaj," the brunette lied. "Just focus on resting for me."

"Ok Mother," Kadaj answered sweetly. As he closed his eyes, his face winced painfully. "My head hurts," he whined softly to her. "Why does it hurt Mother?"

"Loz hit you," Aeris answered sadly, as she thought of the kind, burly giant who had a fetish for long black whips.

"Loz!" Kadaj blinked in confusion before grimacing in growing anger. "Oooh that bastard! He is so gonna pay when I next see him. By the time I have finished with Loz, all his intestines will be smeared everywhere!" Kadaj promised aloud, all the while moaning in pain.

Aeris smiled sadly at him. She brushed the teen's silvery bangs from his vision and Kadaj smiled up at her fondly. "Mother?" he murmured gently.

"Yes Kadaj?" Aeris asked softly.

"I love you."

The brunette blinked in shock, before her face crumpled into a soft and gentle smile. She embraced the confounded teen fondly. "Kadaj you are just too cute at times."

The teen was confused. "But it's the truth Mother. I do love you."

"I know…" Aeris murmured into his hair, as she brought her lips to the teen's brow.

Kadaj was getting delirious now. Whether it was from his concussion, or plain fatigue… Aeris could tell the teen was almost ready to fall asleep.

"Mother…?" Kadaj murmured drowsily.

"Yes Kadaj.."

"Do you love me?"

The brunette's heart jumped in surprise, at the unexpected question. 'Love?' Suddenly Sephiroth's words came back to haunt her memory.

0o0

'_**.. Even now, you reveal to me all**_

_**your weaknesses, and this feeds my**_

_**growing strength."  
**_

"_What weaknesses?"_

"_**You love me." **_

'_**Hahaha, and you are already aware**_

_**that I possess no such feelings of love for you.'**_

0o0

The brunette shuddered at the dark memory. _'When Sephiroth told me he did not love me….. The truth of his words hurt so much….I...I almost wished he had the compassion to lie to me instead… I wanted him to say those three little words… even if he truly did not mean them...even if we both knew they were untrue.. I just…I just needed to hear him say it… Love was the only thing I ever wanted from Sephiroth…and yet…it was the only thing he could never give...'_ As Aeris looked down at the teen's pleading features, the brunette realised, in that moment, that she was holding the boy's young and innocent heart in her hands. While Sephiroth was more than happy to crush her heart into tiny, irreparable pieces, Aeris knew she could never be so cruel to another. And as the brunette stared down into the teen's large mako orbs, Aeris realised something she had never realised before. After all the time she had known Kadaj, the dynamics of their relationship had changed. When she first met the teen, he had been her kidnapper. He had been the incredibly cheesy boy who wanted to be a slave to all of her wishes…

But now…

Things felt different...

Of course..

Kadaj was still quite cheesy.

And still…

Very, very annoying.

But despite this, Aeris felt a warm tenderness for the boy who called her Mother. It was a feeling she did not feel before. Aeris realised it was only because of Kadaj that she found the strength in herself to run away from Sephiroth and get out of the Sanctuary. By saving Kadaj, he had helped her to overcome her darkest fears… Fears that _**He**_ had created in her mind…

Sephiroth had the power to make her feel so very weak and worthless…

But when Kadaj was with her…Aeris realised how _**much**_ stronger she had become.

And as the brunette repeated the teen's innocent question in her own head, Aeris did not need to think of what words to say, for the answer instinctively let them slip from her lips.

"Yes Kadaj. I do…"

Hearing his Mother's words , the sleepy Kadaj allowed his eyes to tremble in surprise. Then slowly his lips parted to reveal a wide, white toothed smile. "You always know how to make me so happy Mother…So very _happy_…" the teen whispered, as he wrapped his arms around the brunette's waist. Kadaj brought his face towards the crook of her shoulder and Aeris shivered as the teen fondly brushed his lips against her pale neck. "You are all I need." Kadaj murmured drowsily against her ear. Aeris felt her eyes soften as the grasp of the teen's fingers began to loosen around her waist. The brunette realised Kadaj was falling asleep on her.

'_Awww.'_

Aeris gently glided her gloved fingers through the teen's baby soft hair, and listened to the soothing sound of his gentle breathing. For reasons she could not explain, Kadaj could bring out a part of her inner being that the demi-Cetra had never experienced with anyone else. When being with Kadaj, Aeris understood the Cetra desire to wholly protect another from harm. Looking at the sleepy young youth, Aeris could feel her Cetra spirit smiling down at the pale innocence cradled in her arms. As she continued to glide her gentle gloved hands through the teen's silky hair, she began to hum a soft and gentle lullaby of life.

"_I belong here with you  
Though the earth cries inside me.." (*)  
_

And as Aeris sang her song…Ifalna's words of hope filled her with a growing warmth. Aeris had always known of a way to save everyone from Sephiroth's madness.

It just involved….

A single _sacrifice_...

"_I will fly  
High into the storm..."_

In the past Aeris Gainsborough was not ready to face death in the Mako Reactor of Nibelheim.

_  
"Far from the light  
I will be strong"_

But now….things had changed… and. Aeris could no longer fight Gaia's will.

She knew she had to complete her destiny….

For the reason was laying sleepily in her lap…

"_Because they need you  
Because I love you,"_

Aeris tenderly stared down at the Kadaj's sweet, pale face and tenderly stroked his pale bangs from his brow.

"_You close your eyes now.."_

The brunette closed her eyes and continued to sing her gentle song. The flowergirl knew what she had to do. If her sacrifice could save the life of Kadaj and so many other innocents, her Cetra spirit was now ready to embark on one last journey. Aeris could finally hear Gaia's call inside her. It was telling her what to do, and where to go. Her Mother had been right all along. Now was the time to return back to the Planet.

_  
"I will be gone."_

A tear slipped down the brunette's face, but all the while she was smiling as she sang.

_  
"But my love for you will go on…" _

When her lullaby finished, the cave became silent of all sound except the cold whistling of the snowy winds outside. The brunette stared down at the gentle burden in her arms. Aeris now knew she would do anything to prevent Sephiroth from destroying such innocent souls like Kadaj.

"Mother?" Kadaj murmured up at her in a slurred tone. Since his eyes were still closed, the flowergirl jumped in surprise. Aeris had assume the teen had fallen asleep. "Yes Kadaj?" Aeris asked softly.

"You once told me about a flower garden you had at your home. Mother, do you remember?" He mumbled gently. Aeris stared down at the teen and tears dotted her vision. The flowergirl remembered the words she spoke to him inside Icicle Inn. "Yes...I do remember Kadaj."

The teen's lips curled upwards. "And you promised to take me there, right?"

Aeris had to fight to keep her voice steady. Brushing the bangs from the teen's forehead, Aeris felt her heart break, as she spoke a promise she could never fulfil. "_Yes_…"

Even though his eyes were closed, the teen was still smiling. Kadaj was already imagining what it would be like, to walk hand in hand with his Mother in a garden full of flowers. "And it will be just the two of us, right? **No-one** else, not even Yazoo?" Kadaj asked innocently.

The brunette's eyes were glazed with tearful pain. Her hands uneasily clenched at her sides. Eventually, Aeris found the strength to answer the pale teen. "When everything is over Kadaj, I will take you to Midgar to see my flower-garden. I promise."

"Okay," The teen smiled weakly, unaware of the new despair he had inflicted on his beloved Mother. "Good night Mother, I love you."

And then Kadaj was out like a light.

When she was sure the teen was asleep, Aeris let the emotional dam inside her burst. She raised a shaky hand to her mouth in an attempt to silence the sound of her quiet and stifled sobbing. When her body began to physically shake due to the strain of her dark and sorrowful emotions, Aeris gently moved Kadaj off her lap and wrapped many heavy blankets across the teen's small, lean body, all the while silently crying to herself. And as Aeris stared down at the slumbering teen, the brunette felt sadness encage her heart with eternal sorrow. It hurt so much to lie to Kadaj, but Aeris knew she could never tell him the truth. Knowing how much Kadaj loved her, he would try to stop her from becoming a sacrifice in the City of the Ancients. But Aeris knew she had no choice. To save everyone who walked on the green earth of Gaia, she had to fulfil her final duty as the last Cetra. That was her Cetra Burden: to Protect and Cherish Life.

'_And all those that were killed in the Sanctuary…I cannot let any of their deaths be in vain…'_

The brief shadow of a silver haired Zack flittered across her memory, and Aeris felt her heart despair even more. She shook her head sadly, and forced herself to think towards the future… To the hope that fate had offered her all along.

'_**Mother once told me how to repel Meteor….but to stop it… a willing sacrifice needed to be made.'**_

'…_**The White Materia…'**_

'_**I had hope with me all along…and now is the time to finalise the Planet's prayer…'**_

Aeris shakily raised a hand to touch her hair band, searching for the familiar hardness of materia she knew she would find there. But to her horror, there was nothing there! The brunette removed her pink ribbon and shook her hair. But no white orb dropped from her dark, messy tresses. As Aeris gaped at the new horrific revelation, the flowergirl quickly realised her cruel nightmare was _far_ from over.

'_Oh No, No, No-no ,Nooooooo!'_

'_This can't…this can't be real. I can't have…'_

'_It's not possible…'_

'_I-I….'_

0o0

'_**I HAVE LOST THE WHITE MATERIA!'**_

0o0

Aeris was about to have a panic attack. She was already hyperventilating. The flowergirl's mind raced back to her last memory of when she saw her Mother's Heirloom. But to the brunette's horror, she could not even remember the last time she held the materia in her hands. Ever since she had met Kadaj, the brunette had taken no time to consider the real importance of her Mother's trinket. And since Aeris had no clue of where she might have dropped it, the flowergirl realised it could be anywhere on Gaia or even anywhere in Sephiroth's Sanctuary!

Aeris huddled her knees together and tried to blink back tears. "So I really have failed the Planet," the flowergirl whispered brokenly. " In seven days everyone will die…and I wont be able to do a single thing to stop it."

And with those words, Aeris silently wept into her arms.

0o0

The fire had gone out long before Aeris realised a certain silver haired gunman had not returned with more wood. Rubbing the wetness from her large, bloodshot eyes, the brunette stood up to move towards the edge of the cave. She peered out casually, seeing nothing but snow. As many minutes trickled by, the brunette was beginning to grow even more worried. Turning her gaze to the pale teen who was calmly slumbering beneath the huge pile of woollen blankets, Aeris smiled sadly down at him.

"I won't be gone for long Kadaj. I'm just going to look for your Brother."

Grabbing a large brown blanket and wrapping it around her leather clad form to protect her body from the cold, Aeris rushed out into the cold snow. She was beginning to worry now. She could not see anything but white. The brunette had not forgotten about the violent wound on the gunman's right shoulder. The flowergirl shuddered and began calling out for him.

As she trudged through the deep snow…

Aeris could only fear the worst.

Her nightmares came true when Aeris finally found Yazoo laying half frozen in the snow. Laying face up, his lifeblood had stained a wide ring of crimson death around his wounded form. "Yazoo!" Aeris screamed out in horror. Dropping down to her knees before the wounded warrior, the brunette tried to staunch the flow of blood to avail. She screamed again, when she realised she did not even think to bring Kadaj's Restore materia with her.

"Yazoo!"

"YAZOO!"

"Can you please stop screaming. Your loud voice is hurting my ears," The wounded warrior moaned in a dismal tone. The brunette's heart leapt up with hope. Yazoo was still alive! The gunman was now blankly staring up at the distraught female. Aeris had silenced herself, but her tears did not stop falling. Yazoo noticed this silent revelation and glared at her coolly. "Just because you can't scream, that doesn't mean I want you to continue crying either."

"Then what do you expect me to do if I can't scream or cry?" Aeris exclaimed emotionally. All the flowergirl wanted to do was get Yazoo back to the cave. She did not think she had the physical strength to move him, but she was going to damn well try.

The pale haired gunman turned his head away from her. "I expect you to leave me alone. Forget you even found me here."

The flowergirl's eyes dilated in surprise.

"W-what?"

"Go back to Kadaj," Yazoo murmured drearily, as he closed his eyes against the white expanse before him. He did not like looking at the snow… it reminded him too much of the Sanctuary. "He needs you."

Aeris shook her head. She knew she could never leave Yazoo. "But you will die if you stay out here."

If Yazoo had the strength, he would have shrugged his shoulders carelessly. "We all die someday. Why not today..?"

Aeris was now getting scared for the welfare of Kadaj's older Brother. "No, don't say such things Yazoo," the brunette pleaded, as she leant her body towards him. "Let me help you back to the cave. I can try and use the Restore materia and- "

The brunette gasped when the gunman kicked her midriff, causing her to fall backwards into the snow. Aeris cradled her stomach in surprise. The attack hurt, but she was more surprised than anything by the unprovoked attack. "Didn't you hear what I said? Get the hell away from me!" Yazoo raged, as a thin trickle of crimson dribbled down his chin.

Using her arms to bring herself into a sitting position, Aeris openly gaped at the bleeding and very angry gunman. She was completely horrified at the vicious glare he was now sending her way. "You really are a fucking, useless waste of space. What the hell did Sephiroth see in you?" Yazoo snarled aloud, as he coughed up a handful of blood. The flowergirl could only stare at the gunman in mute terror. Her silent surprise seemed to anger the pale warrior even more. "You can't even understand," The gunman had to pause to cough. "-when someone tells you to leave them alone. I want to die in peace damnit, not with you hovering around me like an irritating buzzard."

"Yazoo.." Aeris' eyes trembled as she crawled towards the pale gunman. Yazoo turned his head away from the flowergirl. He did not want to look at her. "Please…" The tears were falling again and Aeris did not try to stop them. She had to help Yazoo. She could not leave him alone in the snow to die. "Let me help you."

The gunman refused to look at her. "Why do you even pretend tocare about me? Stop acting like an idiot and go back to Kadaj,"

"Pretending?" Aeris echoed weakly. "I'm not pretending. I want to help you. Please let me help." Aeris knew she was begging now.

Yazoo sighed. "What is the point? There is no reason for me to live any longer… And the more I look up at the sky, I'm finding less reasons to live…and more to die…"

The gunman's words were upsetting the flowergirl. It hurt her knowing how someone was choosing death when they deserved to experience the glory of life. "No don't say that Yazoo."

"Don't say what?" The gunman mocked her weakly. "The truth?"

Aeris shook her head. "No. Kadaj would not want you to die. You know he cares-"

"- only about his _beloved_ _Mother ,_ so please do not attempt to tell me otherwise. Unlike you, I am not a fool," The warrior intercepted her words with cold, deadly precision.

The brunette face crumpled sadly. "Yazoo please. I want to help you. I know you don't even like me…"

"I despise you…" Yazoo admitted coldly.

"I despise myself too…" Aeris replied with a soft, sad smile. Hearing her words, mako eyes turned to look at her. Using his confusion to her advantage, Aeris crawled to the gunman left side and sent her most pleading expression his way.

"Yazoo please, let me see your wound? I can help you if you let me."

Looking into her wide and tearful eyes, Yazoo could not find the energy to care about being angry with her. To keep on arguing with her was sapping his life energy.

"Do as you wish," the gunman stated to her weakly, as he closed his eyes and resigned himself to his fate. "You are far too stupid to reason with anyway."

Aeris smiled weakly at the gunman's insult to her person, and shyly placed a hand across the gunman's right shoulder. When she pulled her hand back, wet blood stained her dark glove. The brunette's eyes wavered softly. The demi-Cetra wanted to heal Yazoo but with no materia on her person, she was unsure what to do. She did not want to waste time running back to the cave. She did not know how much time Yazoo had left to live.

Clasping her hands together in prayer, Aeris turned her heart and soul to Gaia. Only the Planet had the power to save Yazoo now. "Please Planet, help me." When Gaia did not respond to her prayers, the brunette was beginning to get afraid. "Please Gaia…this will be the only thing I ask of you. Before I die in seven days, please help me save him…"

As a green orb began to resonate around the flowergirl's clasped hands, Aeris realised Gaia had heard her heartfelt prayer. Staring down at her fingers in awe, the demi-Cetra watched the orb expand into a wide corona of light before dispersing straight towards the gunman's body.

Suddenly there was a green flash of light, and then all colour's of life faded back to white.

_0o0_

"_**Healing Wind!"**_

0o0

Mako eyes snapped open and then suddenly Yazoo seated himself up in the snow. Pulling his jacket open in surprise, the gunman blankly stared at the pale, white, unblemished skin of his right pectoral. He was amazed beyond belief. There was not even a scar. Even the blood coating his body had disappeared! If it wasn't for the two visible tears on his jacket, Yazoo might have imagined his bloody wound to be a mild dream. The gunman could not deny that he was _very_ impressed with the flowergirl's curative skills. "H-how did you use magic without materia?" Yazoo murmured quietly, trying to conceal his awe in his voice, but failing badly.

The flowergirl beamed at him, and tapped her nose. "It's a secret."

The gunman looked at the brunette oddly. "Why is it a secret?"

The brunette shook her head with a gentle smile. "Because no-one is allowed to know…"

Yazoo blinked at her for almost a minute. "You are so bizarre," he remarked eventually.

Aeris giggled lightly. "Coming from you, I will take that as a compliment."

The gunman quirked an eyebrow. This woman was truly nuts.

Aeris could not stop smiling now. She was just so glad that Yazoo was alright. _'….for now yes…but he will die in seven days…as will everyone esle…' _The brunette's green eyes darkened, and her previous fleeting joy faded back to growing despair. Yazoo caught the transition of emotion. Curiosity perked, the gunman asked the female what was troubling her.

The brunette turned her head away to build up her inner confidence. She knew the gunman was strong enough to face the truth. "Yazoo… I n-need to tell you something important…"

"Go on…" Yazoo said slowly.

Aeris cringed. "Sephiroth has used the Black materia."

The gunman blinked at her. "Black Materia?" Yazoo had never heard of such a thing.

Aeris sadly nodded. "Yes.. Sephiroth has used the Black Materia to summon Meteor towards the Planet… …it will arrive in seven days…and when it does….it will crash into us…and then everything will be no more..."

Yazoo stared long and hard at the brunette before him. It felt like many minutes had passed. And then eventually the gunman spoke. "And still…even knowing this, you forced Kadaj and I to come out to the surface?"

The flowergirl weakly bowed her head.

"You are such a sadist…" Yazoo drawled out quietly, before turning his head away from the stunned flowergirl.

The brunette whipped her head up. "I'm not a sadist," Aeris defended herself in surprise.

"Yes you are, why else would you try and save us if you already knew we were all going to die in seven days time…? Why allow Kadaj, Loz and even I false dreams of survival when we have all been sentenced to death?" The gunman no longer knew what to think of the foolish woman at his side.

Aeris laughed sadly. "I guess I didn't have a chance to think at all. My only thought was to get you all away from Sephiroth," the brunette admitted honestly.

The gunman sighed wearily. Whatever fleeting hope he once possessed of survival, had now been dashed by the brunette's words of truth. Yazoo did not know what to think or feel now. Anger seemed too melodramatic an emotion to feel…Instead, Yazoo felt a calm acceptance fill his heart. He remembered his previous words. '_I was willing to die today…why not in seven days time?'_

"So this is why you ran from the Sanctuary? Hmm…did you flee because Sephiroth waas going to kill you too?" Yazoo stated slowly ,as he turned to the brunette for answers. The flowergirl shook her head. "No.. actually…Seph- Sephiroth wanted me to stay in the Sanctuary and rule the Planet alongside him. He planned to make me immortal by merging me with Jenova somehow. But…I-" Aeris looked down at her hands. "I refused to bow down to the will of a monster. I could never forgive myself if I allowed Sephiroth to harm and destroy Gaia for his own selfish needs."

This new revelation confused the gunman even more. The pale gunman was trying to understand the brunette's motives. "So.. by leaving the Sanctuary, you sacrificed your own chances of being immortal… even when you were aware that coming up to the surface meant inevitable death…?" The brunette bashfully nodded. Yazoo now raised a patronising brow at the female at his side.

"Aeris, you are such an _**idiot**_…" Yazoo groaned quietly, but there was no cruel bite to his tone. Looking at the brunette's sheepish expression, the gunman felt his lips twitch into the beginnings of a small smile, before shaking his head in mild amusement. Yazoo knew he would never understand this woman at all. But at least, he knew he would never have to worry about Aeris manipulating him or his younger Brother. She was far too stupid and innocent for that. '_She sacrificed immortality…and now because of her foolish decision, she has to die along with the rest of us…Why has she chose to turn herself into a martyr?'_

The gunman became thoughtful. All the while the brunette at his side was silent of sound.

"So there is no way to stop Meteor from coming…?" Yazoo asked eventually, as raised his mako tainted orbs skywards to see a very noticeable red orb, glaring a glow of death above them.

When the flowergirl heard his question, she felt her face darken with sadness and guilt. "Not now…There was a way to stop Meteor…. You see, the Black Materia has a sister called the White Materia. And it had the power to destroy Meteor's darkness…. I used to carry this materia around with me all the time…" Aeris knew she was ready to cry again, but she could not help it. "The White Materia belonged to my Birth Mother Ifalna. When she died, it was the only thing I was left with. If you saw it now, you would not think it to be a piece of materia, since it's so tiny…But…" Aeris paused, as tears dotted her vision. "On my way to meet Sephiroth….or maybe when I was running from Sephiroth…I lost it…."

The brunette's eyes dimmed and Yazoo watched her silently. All the while his mind was whirling with different possibilities. And then Aeris continued on. "The White Materia was Gaia's only hope of defeating Meteor. Now I have lost it….all hope has been lost…"

The gunman furrowed his lip in thought. "Tell me what this White Materia looks like again," Yazoo asked softly, as he idly moved one of his gloved hands inside his leather coat, searching for an item he hoped was still in his pocket.

"Well…like I said, the White Materia looks like a small white pearl. It's really pretty, almost like a piece of jewellery."

Yazoo smirked as he brought his hand up to the brunette's greeneyed gaze . "You mean this?"

Aeris stared wide eyed at the gunman's gloved fingers. There, held between his thumb and forefinger was her Mother's heirloom.

The _White Materia.._

The brunette raised a shaking hand to her mouth. "How…I mean…why ?" Aeris felt tears of elation blur her vision. She blinked them back when Yazoo calmly handed the small piece of materia to her. Cradling the orb in her fingers, Aeris began to tremble with tearful excitement.

Now she had the White Materia, hope had returned to Gaia! Even if the hope was slight, Aeris still believed that the Planet could be saved from Sephiroth's darkness!

"You must really be an idiot to lose something this important." Yazoo muttered to himself, as he remembered picking up the small orb on the beach of the Sanctuary. Aeris beamed softly at him. "I know," she agreed as her eyes smiled down at him. The gunman was getting flustered at the sight of the flowergirl's joy. He had to turn away from her. He was not used to the unnecessary levels of warmth emanating from the flowergirl's form. The brunette misread his discomfort for disgust and her smile faded from her lips

"Yazoo, you really don't like me, do you?" The flowergirl voiced quietly, as she turned her attention to the pale orb in her hand.

Yazoo turned his head to look at the brunette oddly. "Do you want me to like you?" He asked, raising a brow of mock disbelief.

Aeris shook her head gently as her gaze turned inward. "No, I think this is how it has to be." _'I finally understand…I now know why Yazoo has my White Materia…This is the work of Gaia's will……Yazoo…he is going to be the one to aid me with my Holy Prayer… Since Sephiroth cannot aid my sacrifice……you chose his Remnant instead… Gaia…I must thank you. I know Yazoo has the strength to guide me back to my original path of fate…He will aid me with my Cetra Burden.'_

"Whatever," Yazoo drawled uneasily. He was getting uncomfortable seeing the brunette smiling at him so often, as if he was Kadaj.

"That's what I needed to hear, because Yazoo…" The brunette paused, and her eyes softened gently at him. "I have a favour to ask of you. There is something I must do…but I cannot do it alone.." Aeris was trembling with emotion now. She wasn't sure how to say the words. But looking at the gunman's calm expression comforted her. It gave her the strength to continue on.

"Go on," Yazoo encouraged slowly. Again he had turned his head away to look up at the rouge tainted sky above.

And so she did. "You see, to use the White Materia to stop Meteor…there needs to be some form of sacrifice."

"Sacrifice?" Now the gunman was confused as he turned his lazy gaze upon her. "What kind of sacrifice?

Aeris inhaled a breath of courage. She was not going to hide the truth from Yazoo. "To bring the White Materia to life, someone needs to die."

For the first time that she had seen him, Yazoo was stunned. His mouth had dropped open and his eyes were now agape in surprise. The expression would have been comical if the situation was not so tragic. Aeris now knew what she needed to say next was going to be even harder. She turned her eyes to the side, and bravely continued on. "Yazoo….I know how brave you are…and I know you can find the strength inside yourself to do this for me..…so when the time comes, w-will you…-will-you-"

Aeris had no time to finish her rambled plea, as the pale haired gunman suddenly snapped his head towards her. "How dare you think I will die for you and this worthless Planet!" Yazoo was angry now. "I will be no-one's martyr! I'm not going to die so everyone lives! If I have to die, then everyone is coming with me!"

Aeris gaped at him in surprise, before shaking her head with a sorrowful smile "No. No. You have it wrong Yazoo. I would never ask you to do such a thing for me. But I-" Aeris could feel her voice cracking. "-I do not have the heart to ask Kadaj to do this…for I know it would break his heart…and that is why I come to you…."

Yazoo stared at the Aeris, looking at her properly for the first time he had known her.

Aeris was shuddering both physically and emotionally. She held her hands together. She had to be brave. She knew she had the strength to continue on. "Yazoo...will-"

Aeris could not fight the trembling of her hands.

"-Will you-?'

Yazoo's mako tainted eyes dilated sharply in dawning recognition.

"-It's just that… this is the only way to stop Meteor, and to save the Planet. So Please….please I beg of you." Suddenly Aeris bowed herself in the snow before the stunned warrior. "I know you have never really liked me, and I am so sorry that I have to ask a favour from you in the first place. But I know there is no other way to stop _**Him**_. I wish there was…but there isn't…My love for Sephiroth was not strong enough to bring him back to the light. And that is why I have to do this… I will defeat Sephiroth with his own weapon. I will fight Death with Death… I will sacrifice my life to save everyone…" Aeris had to stop talking now. The moment she raised her head from the snow, to stare at the gunman's face, Aeris saw an uncharacteristic shiver of emotion glimmering in the deep depths of Yazoo's eyes. The brunette could feel her heart cracking. It seemed her words were affecting him. "I'm so sorry Yazoo to make you do this. I'm so sorry," Aeris murmured through the tears as she bowed her head down to the snowy ground. All the while Yazoo watched the woman bowed helplessly before him. The gunman felt himself become unexpectedly emotional when the brunette kept on apologising to him, as if she had committed a great disservice to him.

"Stop it," Yazoo grumbled quietly.

"Stop what?" Aeris murmured through her tears.

"Stop apologising. It's irritating."

"I'm sorry," The brunette instinctively answered, before freezing at the mako tainted glare that was sent her way. She dipped her head down submissively. Yazoo was the last person she wanted to anger. He was her last chance of saving the Planet!

"And stop grovelling. That is just as irritating."

The brunette raised her head upwards in surprise, before moving herself into a similar seated position like Yazoo.

"I'm Sor-….It's just-" Aeris was wringing her hands in her lap now. "I'm just not strong enough to do this by myself and I need your help so much."

The gunman was staring at her seriously now. "So you want me to kill you, is that correct Aeris…?" Yazoo stated softly, while the flowergirl shuddered a weak yes. "And while asking this of me, deep down, you do not wish to die…You do not want to die, do you Aeris?"

"I…." Aeris could not lie. "It's just…There is no other way to save this Planet from Sephiroth's Meteor. But if my death will save millions, I have to do this. I need to do this…"

"I _see_…" the gunman murmured to himself, as he looked down at the shaking brunette before him. But in truth, Yazoo did not _see_. He could not understand why a human would selflessly sacrifice her own life for strangers who did not know nor cared to know her. It simply made no sense to him.

But one thing Yazoo did understand was why Aeris came to him for assistance and not Kadaj. Unlike his Little Brother, Yazoo did not need to hold her hand 24-7 nor had a reputation for expressing any form of compassion towards her. For this reason alone, Aeris believed he would be the perfect man to play the role of the flowergirl killer. The gunman gritted his teeth. He could not believe the girl's audacity. She was asking him to play the role of her executioner. And if that wasn't warped enough, she was actually happy for him to do it!

He really did not know what to say.

But the warrior knew there was nothing he could do. If he wanted to live beyond the seven days of Meteor…then the flowergirl had to die. And as the gunman stared into the flowergirl's wide and imploring green orbs, Yazoo realised he was ensnared in her bittersweet spell. The gunman knew he had the chance to defy her will. He could tell her no and they could all accept to die in seven days. After all, just moments ago, he was ready to die…

'_But Aeris stopped me….she healed me….'_

'…_and this same woman who has healed me…..now wants me to __**kill**__ her….'_

'…_What delicious irony_…'

Removing his gaze from the brunette, Yazoo returned his gaze towards Meteor. The fiery red orb glaring down at the Planet was a sign of death for them all. Yazoo knew he had to make a decision quickly.

'_Should I allow myself to die….?'_

'_Or should I live…?'_

'_But for me to live…that means…'_

The gunman bit his lip.

He had finally made his decision.

"If that is what you wish of me. Then you shall have it. Aeris, when the time comes, I will be the one to take your life." Aeris' eyes shuddered with tearful surprise, and before Yazoo knew it, the brunette had threw herself at his form. She wrapped her arms around the stunned gunman, and began thanking him over and over again. The warrior really had no idea what to do, or even say and so he kept his arms at his sides, and allowed the flowergirl to embrace him. When he felt a slight wetness slide down his neck, Yazoo realised Aeris was crying on top of him…It seemed illogical how a potential victim was thanking and holding their soon to be murderer. It was illogical how Aeris would hug him when they were reluctant allies at best. But such thoughts began to dissipate when his mind began to shiver with disturbing feelings that he could neither define nor understand. The brunette did things to him. He no longer knew what to think of her. Yazoo had never met anyone like this woman. She affected him in so many ways…Aeris had ensnared him, and the gunman did not know how to pull himself away…he did not even know if he wanted to pull himself away.

The gunman's eyes darkened and his hands nervously twitched at his sides.

"Thank you so much Yazoo. I knew I could trust you,." Aeris wept softly, as she pulled herself away from the gunman to smile at him through her tears. "You are truly one of a kind. Kadaj is sooo lucky to have you as his Big Brother."

Now Yazoo was even more baffled with the woman before him. He could not find the source of the flowergirl's joy. He knew that if he was in her position, smiling would be the last thing on his mind. And so Yazoo gave up on trying to understand the strange female before him. He realised that Aeris was more of an enigma to him after each and every passing day.

"So…." Yazoo drawled eventually. He wanted to bring the female back to the reality that was now facing her. Her joy seemed inappropriate for what she expected him to do to her. "You still have not told me _**when**_ you want me to do this…" Soon after she said those words, the light in the brunette's eyes began to fade slightly. "Do you want me to do it now?" The gunman was surprised at the calm and droll tone in his voice. His words seemed callous, even to him. _'If only Little Brother knew what I intend to do to his beloved Mother.'_

Aeris shook her head gently with a sad grin. "Not just yet Yazoo. It can be done anytime after I have finished Holy's prayer inside the city on my ancestors. It is only in the City that my prayers to Gaia can be heard."

The gunman nodded in understanding. "And where is this city of your ancestors?" Yazoo questioned quietly.

"The City of the Ancients? It's…about a day away I guess. Maybe less, or just a little more. I'm not too sure. I just know that once we get past Icicle Inn, there is a small cave. And the beyond this cave is the city where I need to go."

The gunman became lost in thought. "I see." His gaze snapped back on the female at her side. "If you want to reach the City of the Ancients before Meteor comes, we should leave now." Soon after he finished his words, the pale warrior leapt up to his feet. As he was completely healed by Aeris' Healing Wind, he was suddenly full of energy.

The brunette nodded in agreement. She was about to stand up herself, but was nearly bowled over in surprise when Yazoo held a gloved hand out to her. "Thank you," Aeris said kindly, as the gunman pulled her up. Keeping his hand in hers, the gunman began to guide them through the snow and back towards their cave. When the cave came into sight, Aeris had a sudden thought.

"Yazoo..?" She asked him, tugging his arm in an attempt to make him stop. He did so, and looked at her in slight confusion.

"What?" He asked her cautiously.

The brunette bit her lip. "I have another favour to ask of you…" Aeris said, as she bowed her head.

"Another favour?" He asked hollowly. Yazoo could not imagine what this next favour would be. This woman had just asked him to kill her, He could only wonder what new insanity would spill from her lips. "What is it now?"

Aeris' wide eyes stared up at him in a heartfelt plea. "Yazoo…please…_please_, whatever you do, don't tell Kadaj about any of this…if he knew the truth of what I…and what you had to do… it would break his heart." Aeris felt her eyes tear at the thought of the young teen suffering in the future because of her. Her death would surely break his heart. But the demi-Cetra knew sacrifice was the only way to save everyone.

Yazoo blinked slowly. As he looked at the pleading brunette, only one thought ran through his mind. _'…So you want to save Kadaj from the pains of suffering….but not me…' _The gunman's eyes glittered with green jealousy. '_Why you evil.. conniving… little-'_ But Yazoo could not find the anger to finish his dark thoughts, as he stared at the brunettes tearful features. Yazoo knew Aeris cared for Kadaj, so it was understandable that she wanted to keep him from harm…even if he was going to find out the truth eventually…

"I understand," the gunman answered wearily, as he brushed his pale bangs from his vision. "If you wish it of me, I will not tell Kadaj a thing. You have my word."

Aeris squeezed the gunman's gloved hand in genuine gratefulness. "Oh Thank you so much Yazoo. You truly are the best!"

The gunman could not respond to the flowergirl's gratitude.

Mentally sighing, Yazoo tugged Aeris' arm back towards the cave. All the while his mind pondered darkly..

'_How am I supposed to feel, when someone is happy to die by my hand?' _

_'……..This is madness._'

0o0o0o0o0o0

**Author's Notes**

**Ehehe? Now who thought this chapter was dark? If any of you guys have read TLAA1: 58 recently, then I am sure you remember Aer's incessant fear of dying by Seph's hand. But now Aeris is ASKING Yazoo to kill her. My have the tables turned. I really would not like to be in Yazoo's shoes atm. Mind you, he seems to be taking it quite well…Hmm. We'll see how this develops in later chapters. Whew this chapter is stupidly long. But I've grown fond of writing 40-50 pages instead of 7 or 8. You can pack more angst and excitement inside.**

**Anywho, I'm gonna wait til I reach at least 10 reviews before starting TLAA1 CH2, so guys you know what to do. If you want me to start writing TLAA3-C2, REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW XX Come on, I moreorless did a 50 page chapter, that should deserve some comments at least LOL X**

**(*) Oh don't know if anyone recognised the song Aeris song. Katethegreat19 did some fantastic lyrics for Aeris' theme, so I had to put it in this chapter. **

**Ja ne**

**Aer_seph4eva**

**P.S**

**Don't forget to REVIEW X REVIEW X REVIEW X**


	2. Innocence

**To Love an Ancient 3: The Last Seven Days: An Aeris and Sephiroth Finale.**

**14731 Words **

**40 pages**

**Chapter 2: Innocence **

**Disclaimer**

**Nope, I don't own Final Fantasy 7...but I sometimes adopt their kawaii bishonens! (most specifically the silvered haired kind.)**

**Author's Notes**

**Wow. Thanks for the fast reviews guys. For your kindness, I simply had to start writing TLAA3-2 before Xmas came. But seriously, this chapter is gonna be longish…Probably not as long as TLAA3-1 but long enough.**

**Anywho before I start writing, I have to let you guys know about a fantastic artist called Gwengivar on Deviantart. She was so kind as to gift me with this gorgeous piece of fanart. http :// gwengivar . deviantart . com / art / just-a-gift-144955100**

**Just fill in the blanks and hopefully the link will work x But I have to say this fanpic is absolutely gorgeous! And Gwengivar, since I know you will be reading this, I just wanna say THANKYOU again!!! ****I sooo need to get back into doing my own fanart. lol Oh, and if any other readers are inspired in creating some fun crack S/A Y/A, K/A, heck even some Y/A/K, or S/A/K/Y fanart/fanfiction I'd love to see/read it. Believe me, I don't think I've ever seen a really decent piece of A/K fanart before, and certainly not Y/A! Mind you, I have seen plenty of you tube vids of Aeris/KH-Riku, so that is really saying something about random Aer pairings. **

**LOL x**

**Anywho as for my musical muses today.**

**Im gonna be sooo boring and say its Escaflowne yet again! Haha. I just love Folken's theme: Shadow of Doubt, Chain and Blaze 2. All these pieces reek of melancholy power… and sides, I've always loved choralish music.**

**Evanescence- Missing. This song has Aeris sacrifice written all over it.**

**Titanic- Rose's theme (girly/tragic piece of music. How can it not fit Aeris. Lol)**

**Casper's Lullaby- Very cute emotional theme. For some reason it makes me think of Kadaj, and not just a certain little friendly ghost. Lol **

**Ryan Dan (Tears of an Angel)/Cover my eyes - gorgeous emotional piece about loss, innocence and angels… Hmm, very Aer/Kad related if I do say myself. **

**Silent Hill- Now I primarily listen to this soundtrack series, since it brings out twisted thoughts of Madness. Lol. After all SH is the best muse if you want to create psychotic/violent scenes of death…..**

**Weird Al- Trigger Happy. Found the most wonderful you tube vid dedicated to Yazoo. Look it up. It's pretty funny.**

**Anywho, enough of my ramblings…**

**And on with the fic!**

**0o0o0o0o0**

When Aeris and Yazoo returned to the cave, they were both relieved to find Kadaj fast asleep. The brunette quickly released the gunman's hand and rushed over to the slumbering teen. Kneeling down beside him, Aeris gently brushed her gloved fingers over the teen's silvery brow. She silently admiring his sweet and peaceful face, before turning her wide eyes back to Yazoo, who was still stoically standing at the entrance of the cave.

"Um, Yazoo, I think we should let Kadaj sleep for just a little while longer," the flowergirl murmured softly. Yazoo nodded in agreement and watched as Aeris settled herself beside his sleeping sibling.

Throwing a few woollen blankets over her small shoulders, the flowergirl tried to make herself as comfortable as she could. Since there was no real source of heat in the cave, Aeris was really feeling the cold. It did not help that her back was touching the icy wall either.

"Brrrr."

Aeris rubbed her gloved hands together, before looking down at the slumbering teen at her side. Her brows frowned softly when she realised Kadaj had no pillow, nor any blankets to protect his poor, injured head. The flowergirl's eyes softened with empathy. She knew she had to do something to help him.

Yazoo watched passively as Aeris gently placed his Brother's head onto her lap, before covering their bodies with multiple blankets.

"You should try and get some rest as well," the gunman advised the flowergirl quietly.

Even at a distance, Yazoo was aware of the very noticeable shadow hanging underneath the flowergirl's eyes. "You have not had the opportunity to sleep since we have left the Sanctuary."

The brunette's tired green eyes flitted upwards to meet passive mako hue. "You're right Yazoo…but…right now, I'm far too cold to even think about trying to sleep," the brunette admitted softly, rubbing her arms in an attempt to keep her body warm.

The pale gunman nodded in understanding. His mako tainted eyes turned to the cold remains of the expired fire. "I can rekindle the fire again if you wish."

Aeris looked at the dead fire, before gazing up at the gunman with slight uncertainty. "Um…." The last time Yazoo had left to find wood for the fire… the brunette was unlucky enough to find him laying halfdead in the snow. The flowergirl shivered at the dark and violent memory. Aware of the brunette's hesitation, the gunman rolled his eyes in mock irritation. "Do not worry yourself about me. I will return."

The flowergirl shook her head at him softly. "It's not just that Yazoo..." the brunette paused for a moment, as she stared down at the slumbering teen in her lap. She felt her lips begin to curl up into a small but genuine smile. "…It's just…I never realised how _caring_ you have been to Kadaj… ."

The brunette raised her soft green eyes up to the entrance of the cave.

"and ……."

Aeris blinked slowly in surprise. Her wide eyes searched each icy wall, but Yazoo was nowhere to be seen.

He was _gone_…

The flowergirl furrowed her brow in worry, and eyed the fresh booted footprints heading away from the cave.

"…_...me."_ The brunette finished weakly.

'_I just hope I didn't say anything to upset him.'_

'_..But Yazoo said he would return…'_

'_So …I guess… '_

'_I guess I should wait for him, and hope for the best.'_

The brunette anxiously bit her lip. Keeping her wide eyes on the white entrance of the cave, Aeris was unable to relax until she heard the reassuring crunch of footsteps outside the cave. When a familiar pale gunman appeared at the entrance of the cave, carrying an armful of snapped branches, the brunette sighed warmly with relief. Yazoo nodded in her direction, before silently getting to work, summoning a strong fire to heat the entire cave. When the fiery flames burst into life, Aeris immediately felt the warmth of their crackling embers. Shifting her body under the blankets, Aeris emitted a quiet sigh of pure bliss. She could already feel her body submitting to mental fatigue. And even though her body was still sitting up, she was ready to nod off at any moment. At the back of her mind, Aeris knew her back was really going to really _**ache **_in the morning. Nevertheless, the brunette believed if she could help Kadaj, she would gladlysacrifice her own comfort, if only to benefit his. And as the flowergirl watched the young warrior rest, Aeris felt her heart soften with motherly emotion. Kadaj was such a adorable vision to behold. The brunette sighed softly before gently brushing one of her thumbs across the teen's soft cheek. She felt her heart sigh fondly with emotion when the teen curled his lips upwards into a shy, but contented smile. '_Aww_.' It seemed even when sleeping, Kadaj was still aware of his beloved Mother.

'_Oh Kadaj…How could I ever think you were annoying?'_

'_..You are just far too cute for your own good.'_

Aeris continued to stare down at the angelic teen on her lap, and as she did, she felt her eyes try to slowly close with gentle fatigue. The flowergirl knew she was ready to nod off at any moment. Slowly, the brunette turned her soft hooded gaze to the heat of the blazing fire.

And that was when she saw them.

On the other side of the brightly lit fire, the gunman's glowing eyes, the shade of bright mint starlight, were watching her with a discomforting intensely. The brunette was consciously aware that Yazoo had never given her any obvious attention in the past…so why now?

Nevertheless.. despite the unexpected strangeness of Yazoo's eyes on her…

Aeris felt strangely _comforted_.

In a way, it felt…nice… knowing that someone wanted to watch over her, just like she wanted to watch over Kadaj. The brunette twitched her lips upwards into a drowsy smile of contentment. It felt nice…just so nice, to be protected by the eyes of another.

And as the flowergirl continued to blearily stare beyond the burning flames, towards the silent, staring gunman, the brunette saw something which _nagged_ the back of her mind. It was a _nagging_ thought which prevented Aeris from fully succumbing to the dreamlands of sleep.

And then Aeris finally realised what was _nagging_ her.

Other than the warrior's leather garbs, and the small fire separating them, the gunman had nothing to keep him warm. Aeris peered down at the many blankets covering Kadaj and her own body. She knew she was using about eight…maybe ten blankets between them. The brunette felt her face pale with mortification when she realised she had not even bothered to offer Yazoo one, single blanket.

The brunette bit her lip anxiously.

'_No…wonder Yazoo dislikes me so much…Am I always this cruel to him?'_

Aeris knew she had to rectify her mistake. She refused to go to sleep until she did so.

"Yazoo?" Aeris murmured tiredly, shyly locking her eyes onto the passive mako orbs burning though her body. "Would you like to come on this side of the fire? That way you can sit next to Kadaj and me."

Yazoo blinked slowly in reply. From the way the gunman stared at her, the brunette wondered if she had accidentally spoken in a foreign language. "Um…You don't have to remain by yourself Yazoo. Please come and join us. We can all share our body heat together."

A calm shadow flitted across the gunman's features, and Aeris watched as the pale warrior passively shook his head to decline her offer.

"Are you sure Yazoo?" The brunette asked quietly. She really did not like the thought of the gunman being cold when she had so many blankets they could share together. Aeris watched with a frown as the gunman turned his gaze away from her, to peer dismally down at the dancing flames separating them. When the brunette realised Yazoo had no intention of talking to her, Aerus gnawed her lip with worry. The flowergirl really did not want Yazoo to freeze tonight. She wanted to do something to help him. Lifting one of the blankets away from her shoulders, Aeris attempted to offer the coarse fabric to the silent warrior.

Mako eyes briefly darted her way before turning his focus back to the fire.

"Please take it Yazoo," Aeris weakly pleaded to pale gunman. The warrior raised his eyes so he was dubiously staring at the blanket in the female's hand. "Please, I will feel so much better if you had at least one blanket to help keep you warm."

The pale warrior hesitated, ready to decline her offer again. But seeing the wide, pleading expression in her soft, green eyes, Yazoo reluctantly accepted the item from the female with a passive murmur of thanks. Aeris watched happily as the gunman gingerly wrapped the blanket around his shoulders, before returning his passive mako gaze back to the crackling fire.

Aeris smiled sleepily at the pale warrior, glad for her victory over him, albeit small. When the brunette felt her head to loll forwards, she finally allowed her eyelids to close over. And before the flowergirl knew it, her mind and body had succumbed themselves to the dark desires of sleep.

When the pale gunman was sure the female would not awaken, Yazoo returned his mako gaze back to her. When the warrior first heard Aeris' first gentle snores, he felt his brows quirk up in mild amusement. But this amusement did not last. Yazoo quickly realised the brunette was violently shivering from the cold. The gunman looked down at the dark woollen blanket hanging lazily off his lean form, before gazing back at the shivering female, uncomfortably positioned against the icy wall, with his Little Brother laying very comfortably on her lap.

"…….."

If Yazoo was being truthful with himself, he would admit the icy temperature of the cave was not bothering him at all. Logically the weak female would make much better use of a pathetic blanket, much more than he ever could. And with that single thought in mind, the gunman knew what he had to do.

"………"

Yazoo silently shuffled his way around the fire, to kneel at the flower maiden's side. He silently paused for one moment, to peer down at his younger sibling, whose head was lying quite peacefully on the female's thighs, before casually draping the thick blanket over the brunette's shivering shoulders. When the pale gunman pulled away, his silvery brows furrowed in slight confusion.

'Hmm. Even with these blankets… this woman is _still_ _cold_.'

And this realisation was certainly strange, to a being like Yazoo. Due to his strong warrior constitution, the gunman was unaffected by the extreme temperatures of Gaia. He knew his body could survive the most harshest of climates. And that was why…it was so…_strange….and slightly fascinating,_ to observe someone who was handicapped by nearly every element on the Planet.

"So weak," the gunman murmured softly, as he continued to watch the slumbering female beside him. And as he watched the sleeping pair, Yazoo unconsciously allowed his body to shift even closer to _**her**_. As the gunman looked at them, Yazoo could not deny the _connection_ he could see and feel between the strange, weak female, and his dear beloved Brother. Yazoo knew that realistically, his Brother needed no female to help him heal. After all, Kadaj was a warrior first and foremost, not a helpless babe. He was born and bred to fight. But… as Yazoo continued to stare down at Kadaj…his younger Brotherreally did not seem like the same warrior he had once known….instead, Kadaj seemed more like an ordinary child, nestled in the loving warmth of his mother.

The gunman's eyes flickered in the light of the crackling flames. It finally made sense. Yazoo now understood why his Little Brother cared for this weak and silly woman. The truth was staring him right in the face…

_'I always thought it was just an illusion… a pretence..'_

In the past, Yazoo could not understand why his Brother could happily call a random stranger his Mother. It seemed so illogical. So unnatural. After all, Aeris had no connection to any of them. She was not bound by the same blood. Nor by the same features…Her dreams and desires were not even shared by _**His**_ will…No... Aeris was not like any of them in any way. Yazoo came to the conclusion that Kadaj kept on calling called Aeris 'Mother' because he was guilelessly following the will of Sephiroth…

But.. now…

This seemed no longer the case.

_'No…their bond is not an illusion...it's **real**...'_

Staring at them now, Yazoo realised this female acted as a real Mother to Kadaj! No wonder his Little Brother adored her. Aeris represented everything his Brother had ever dreamed of in a Mother, and more.

The pale gunman sighed.

This truth simply made things all the more difficult.

'_Kadaj…You truly love your Mother, don't you…?'_

'……_..'_

'_But…'_

The gunman clenched a dark fist to his side.

'_I must tell you Little Brother…'_

'…_ this woman will **not** be your Mother for long…' _

'_For very soon…. Aeris will have to __**leave**__ you..'_

'_And then…she will __**never **__hold you again…'_

As Yazoo stared down at his little sleeping Brother, his eyes betrayed no light of emotion. The gunman did not want to imagine what Kadaj would think of him when the dark promise to Aeris had been finalised. Deep down, Yazoo knew he was going to lose his Little Brother. Kadaj would _**never**_ forgive him for taking _**her**_ away from him. And Kadaj would never let go of his grief for her. Yazoo knew it was very likely that Kadaj would try to kill him in revenge. And Yazoo could not blame him. After all, Kadaj's dark revenge would be completely justified.

'_For Kadaj sees Aeris as his Mother….She really is his world…'_

The gunman exhaled drearily, and swept his long bangs from his mako tainted vision. Yazoo already knew the consequences of his dark promise. He realised that whatever happened to the female, death awaited them all. Aeris had told him she was ready to face death. Yazoo knew he was ready for death. He had been ready to face death ever since he left Loz to die on the black shores of the Sanctuary.

But Kadaj…

_'Is Kadaj ready for death…?'_

"………"

Yazoo could already envision the madness that would occur in his Little Brother's mind when he found out about his Mother's fate. Kadaj would not be able to bear the dark truth that his dear and beloved Mother had been violently removed from of his life by his own beloved Brother! Yazoo could already imagine the twisted feelings of betrayal….the rage …the despair…even the inevitable _insanity_…. which would befall the young teen.

_'..Kadaj willlose his mind...'_

_'.............'_

'_But does this woman even realise what her sacrifice will do to Kadaj?'_

The warrior silently sighed. Yazoo already knew the answer. Aeris knew her death was necessary. It was the only way to save Kadaj and the Planet from death. But this dark truth did not make Yazoo's dark burden any easier to bear. The gunman only hoped that his Little Brother would someday understand the purpose of Aeris' sacrifice. Yazoo only hoped Kadaj would be strong enough to live beyond the madness of death. Yazoo did not expect his Little Brother to ever forgive him. For deep down, he already knew Kadaj would _**never**_ forgive him.

0o0

**'FUCK OFF AND DIE YAZOO! YOU ARE NO BROTHER OF MINE!'**

0o0

The gunman's eyes softened with gentle emotion, as he stared down at his slumbering Brother. Laying on the brunette's lap, Kadaj looked so peaceful and free of burden. The young teen was totally unaware of the darkness that would soon consume his mind, heart and soul. It was almost painful, to gaze down at such innocence. _Innocence_...that would soon be lost forever.

"Little Brother," Yazoo murmured quietly, as he reached out for his sibling's hand. "You should be grateful.. at least…. you had the _chance_… to experience the love of a Mother.…for I never will."

The gunman sought out the pale fingers that were poking out from beneath the blankets. Encasing his dark gloved fingers over the teen's white knuckles, the warrior stared down at the long, white digits, contrasting so vividly with the darkness of black leather. As he looked at them, Yazoo remembered how Kadaj had sacrificed his gloves just so he could protect his _Mother's_ fingers from the bitter cold.

"…….."

It seemed Kadaj was ready to sacrifice anything and _everything_ to protect his beloved Mother. And Yazoo was very sure, that if it was indeed possible, his Brother would sacrifice his own life, if only to prevent his Mother from sacrificing her own. And now…as the gunman began to think of the very bleak future ahead of them all…his thoughts began to bleed to black..…After Aeris died…Yazoo knew his Little Brother would _**never**_ let go of her memory..….and Kadaj would never let go of his hate for him…… Aeris was _everything_ to him… And because of this unfortunate truth….Yazoo knew his Brother would lose his mind in the madness of helpless despair…and then….. when his Brother could no longer bear the grief of her loss…...Kadaj would take his own life….just so he could reunite with his beloved Mother in paradise.

"…….."

The thought that he would be the reason of his own Brother's inevitable _suicide_…brought an unfamiliar ache of distress inside the pale warrior's heart. And as Yazoo stared down at Kadaj….the gunman began to grieve for the young teen's future.

'_Kadaj_….'

Aeris really was everything to his Brother…

She was his happiness.

And Yazoo knew he was going to be the one to take Kadaj's happiness away…

"………"

Forcing his gaze away from the sleeping pair, Yazoo refocused his eyes back to the crackling fire. Stretching his long legs out before him, the pale warrior felt the heat of the flames travel up his lean form. But, despite the heat emanating from the fire, the gunman was shivering silently. In truth, the gunman's body was not physically cold. Instead…it was his _thoughts_……and his feelings. Yazoo was chilled by the inevitable horrors that would soon befall his younger Brother. And as the pale gunman returned his gaze back towards the sleeping pair, united in the calm, beauty of sleep, Yazoo realised in that moment, the female and his Little Brother resonated a loving warmth so strong, no blazing fire could dare hope to imitate such heated flames of emotion_._

'_A warmth I will __**never**__ feel….'_

'_A warmth, I will have to destroy…'_

And with that realisation, Yazoo's mako eyes began to bleed with a cold and unfamiliar rage. The gunman realised, he would _never_ share any memories of care that his dear Brother had experienced with this strange, pathetic woman. Yazoo knew he would never know how it would feel, to lay in her lap. He would never experience the gentle touch of her fingers caressing his brow. The only thing he would experience from this woman…is the way it would feel to murder her with his own hands…and the way it would feel to lose his Brother in the madness of her death.

Aeris had damned the gunman to a future of pure misery.

And Yazoo absolutely **despised** her for it.

'………I **hate** her….'

'…I _really, really_ **hate** her…'

Yazoo knew, in the past, he had never been fond of Aeris. To him, this woman could _never_ be his Mother. She was just a bothersome waste of space. An inferior being, not worthy of any of his time…

And yet…

Despite knowing the anger and hate he could feel in his heart…

Yazoo could not forget the trembling words this woman spoke to him in the snow.

_0o0_

"_Please….please I beg of you.."_

"…_I know you have never really liked me…"_

"…_I am so sorry that I have to ask_

_a favour from you in the first place…"_

"_Yazoo...will-will you-?'_

"…_I'm just not strong enough to do_

_this by myself and I need your help …"_

"…_There is no other way to save this_

_Planet from Sephiroth's Meteor. _

_But if my death will save millions,_

_I have to do this. I need to do this…"_

_0o0_

The gunman closed his eyes. She did not say the actual words to him… But then, the woman did not have to. Yazoo already knew what Aeris wanted to say.

Aeris wanted him to kill her.

And he had willingly accepted.

After all, Yazoo knew he was the _perfect_ choice….

Her _only_ choice.

The gunman tightened his jaw and his eyes burned with bitter emotion.

In the end, Yazoo could not deny the truth. The flowergirl's decision to die was perfectly logical. Her single sacrifice would save Kadaj, himself and so many other pointless lives from the wrath of Meteor. But despite knowing this truth, the gunman could not ignore the scorching race of emotion pulsing through his veins. He clenched a hand over his chest, trying to calm his erratic thoughts to no avail. He knew he was losing his composure. He was losing control of his emotions…

And it scared him so much.

For Yazoo had never felt this way before.

He had never known his heart to beat so fast.

Nor had he tasted real fear.

Or anger.

Or jealousy.

Before….he had met that stupid woman, Yazoo had never really felt anything..

But now...

The warrior violently shuddered with emotion.

The gunman felt so lost and unstable.

Yazoo just wanted to get his control back. He needed to get it back!

The gunman closed his eyes and tried to regulate his breathing pattern. He tried to envision a time before the Sanctuary turned to madness. A time before Kadaj went on a journey to find a stupid, weak female who would be the downfall for them all.

He tried to return his thoughts back to the past.

When he was _**calm**_..

When he was _**perfect**_.

And when...he was _always_ in _**control.**_

Yazoo forced himself to focus on the three truths that once made his entire being. His thoughts of the past were the only way the gunman could regain his composure in the present. Eventually, the gunman felt his pulse begin to lessen in tempo, then and very calmly, a cold, icy sensation settled over the gunman's heart, mind and soul.

He was feeling much more like himself again...

Slowly, the gunman unclenched his hand away from his steady beating heart.

Yazoo was finally calm.

He was focussed.

And he was in control of his emotions once more.

"………"

When the warrior finally opened his eyes, he trailed his mako gaze to the sleeping pair. And as he did so, Yazoo was pleased to feel no true measure of emotion for the strange, weak female resting beside him. Aeris meant _nothing_ to him. But when the gunman stared down at his Little Brother..

Yazoo felt an unwelcome jolt of emotion.

The gunman bit the inside of his lip. It did not matter how he controlled his mental will, Yazoo would always fear the suicide of his younger Brother.

"Kadaj…" the gunman murmured quietly, as he raised a gloved hand to brush his fingers across his sibling's brow. Deep down, Yazoo knew he would do anything for his Little Brother. Now that Loz was gone, Kadaj was the only person Yazoo had left to protect. The gunman's felt his eyes soften with brotherly tenderness.

"Little Brother, no matter what happens…I just want you to know…that I will always be there to protect you.." the gunman murmured to the unconscious teen, before shifting his gaze to the slumbering female.

And then the warrior coldly stared at _**her**_. Even in rest, with her head lolled forward, the brunette's lips were….

_**Smiling**_?

The gunman felt his brows twitch in dark irritation. It was unbelievable how even in sleep, this foolish woman could anger him so. 'Why the _hell_ is she _smiling_?' Yazoo had no understanding how the female could even dream so peacefully. '_Why wasn't her mind tormented by the nightmares of her dark future? Was she really that happy to die?'_ This stupid woman perplexed him to no end, and it made him so angry. Aeris was such an illogical creature. Nothing she did made any sort of sense. And as the gunman watched her, he felt his eyes harden.

'…_Why?'_

'…_What is the secret you conceal from me?'_

Cautiously leaning a gloved hand towards the brunette's sleeping face, Yazoo delicately brushed a gloved finger across the brunette's smiling lower lip. Soon after he touched her, he quickly retracted his hand away. He stared down at the leather digit in silence, silently wondering. Silently thinking.

'…_.hmmm?'_

Tentatively, Yazoo slowly raised his finger to his open mouth. Licking the tip lightly, Yazoo wondered whether the secret of the woman's foolish smile could be found within the taste of her lips.

"………" The gunman shook his head. '_Strange_…' Yazoo thought to himself, withdrawing his finger from his mouth, all the while staring at the brown haired mystery sleeping before him.

This woman was so…… bizarre!

Yazoo tried to imagine what mental state you would need to be in, to _smile_ …when your only hope in the future…was death. The two conclusions Yazoo could come to, was'…either 1,… Aeris was a complete _**lunatic**_…or 2.…maybe.. just maybe… this woman isn't as _**weak**_ as I always assumed her to be.'

'…….'

The gunman sighed wearily.

Thinking about this woman was giving him a headache.

Leaning back against the wall beside the sleeping flowergirl, Yazoo closed his eyes, and tried to envision the moment he would finalise his dark burden. The pale gunman tried to imagine the way he would aim the Velvet Nightmare at _**her**_. He tried to imagine the moment he pulled the trigger, and the fatal shot that would pierce the white silence in the air. In his mind's eye, Yazoo could already hear and feel the impact of the shot. He could already see _**her**_ lifeblood trailing down _**her**_ temple… trailing down _**her**_ cheek, to stop at the curve of _**her**_ _smiling_ mouth.

'_Smiling_.'

'_**Smiling**_…'

The gunman snapped his eyes open. He just could not understand this foolish woman at all.

Her smiling lips were a mystery to him.

Yazoo uneasily clenched his hands in his lap.

'…_Why?'_

'_Why does her smile seem to bother me so?'_

'_It's not like smiling is anything difficult…'_

'_Anyone can do it..'_

And with that thought in mind, the gunman twitched his lips softly, trying to lift the corners of his mouth, to no avail. Since he had no happy thoughts to think about, Yazoo could not even will himself to smile.

'_But… if Aeris can smile despite the death that soon awaits her… who is the stronger one here?' _

'_**Her**__…or me?'_

The gunman's eyes darkened. He knew his thoughts were now taking a disturbing turn for the worse.

'_Who really is the crazy one here?' _

'_**Her**__… or me?'_

The pale warrior shook his head. And the more he thought about his dark burden…the more Yazoo felt his mind shift with frenetic emotions, emotions that were not dissimilar to the early stages of madness.

And then Yazoo thought of another twisted idea.

'_If Aeris is so happy to die by my hand…then logically, shouldn't I feel happy to kill her? After all…..I don't even like her….I despise her…'_

Mako eyes flashed with that cold realisation. The gunman needed to test his dark and logical theory. Turning his body towards his future female victim, Yazoo purposely avoided looking at his little Brother laying on _**her**_ lap. He only wanted to focus on the brown haired nuisance before him. Silently raising his gloved hands towards the flowergirl's vulnerable neck, Yazoo narrowed his eyes and brought his gloved fingers around the brunette's pale throat. In his mind, the pale warrior imagined how it would feel to choke all life out of such a weak and feeble body. In his mind, the gunman envisioned the thought of bulging eyes and flailing arms… He knew he could kill her. He knew he was power... The strength... The will...

But… despite this dark realisation...

Yazoo realised something most unsettling…

While he may have possessed the strength to take her life…. Yazoo still did not possess the strength to _**smile**_ as he killed her.

"…….."

Pathetically dropping his hands back into his lap, Yazoo turned his head away, and leant his head back against the icy wall of the cave. This woman was making him _crazy_. Yazoo preferred to focus his mind on the wall behind him. He would rather focus on the cold expanse around him, rather than think anymore stupid thoughts about meddlesome, confusing, and damn right illogical females who smiled at the thought of dying. The warrior released a deep and weary sigh. Closing his eyes, the warrior finally allowed his mind to drift off to sleep.

And as the pale gunman slept, _**her**_ smiling lips haunted his dreams.

0o0o0o0

When Aeris eventually woke up, her sleep hazed mind was surprised at the heavy weight resting on her right shoulder. _Kadaj_? The brunette thought weakly, recognising a head of shocking silver hair covering her right arm. But as the last vestiges of sleep began to slip away from her mind, Aeris noticed there was another head of silver nestling warmly on her lap.

'_Eh? Two Kadaj's?'_

'_That can't be right…there is only one Kadaj…_'

The brunette blinked slowly.

'_But if Kadaj… on my lap..'_

'_Then that means…' _

'_The other silver haired head on my shoulder is…'_

The brunette woke up immediately.

The flowergirl blinked down at her right shoulder in surprise. _Yazoo_? Now this was quite unexpected indeed. In all the time Aeris had known Yazoo, she could not remember a time when the warrior had _**willingly**_ sat near her person. She knew there had been moments when Yazoo had sat uncomfortably close to her . But all those times in the past had a sense of reason. Whether it was to protect her from the cold…or to catch her from falling to her death, there was always a logical reason for Yazoo to touching her.

But now…

Aeris felt her eyes soften with a gentle warmth, as she stared at the gunman's head resting peacefully on her shoulder. Even in sleep, Yazoo maintained his calm, graceful perfection. His body was positioned, cross-legged on the ground. His back was slightly lilted towards her person, and his hands were resting on either side of his lap. If it wasn't for the gentle hush of breath prickling the hairs at the side of her neck, Aeris could have almost believed Yazoo to be lifeless doll. And now, with his face turned towards her, and his eyes closed in sleep, the brunette's mind flashed back to a very unforgettable memory. Aeris knew she had seen this same face, ashen with blood loss inside the dark depths of the Northern Crater. Aeris remembered the way she had cried and feared for Yazoo. The gunman had been so badly wounded. Aeris did not think he would make it. But the flowergirl was so glad to be was wrong. When Yazoo had woken up, and spoke to her in that familiar acerbic tone that was so innately him, Aeris remembered the tears of joy that had slipped down her face. The gunman's strength of will was phenominal. Despite his heavily bleeding wound, the gunman had stood up, and driven them all away from Sephiroth's Sanctuary. Yazoo had even fought against his own Brother to save them all from the darkness of the Sanctuary. Aeris knew Yazoo possessed a strength she would never own for herself. Yazoo's strength of will was truly remarkable, as it was almost unbelievable, and Aeris could not thank Yazoo enough for everything he had done for her, and what he was soon going to do. Aeris knew Yazoo was Gaia's last hope and she had complete faith in him. Aeris knew Yazoo would uphold his side of their dark pact. He would help her to finalise her Cetra Burden.

'_Because…'_

The flowergirl turned her attention to the other silver haired warrior sleeping peacefully on her lap.

'_Kadaj, you are the reason why I keep on fighting **him**. I will never give up. I will never submit to __**his**__ darkness. Not when I have you, and so many others I need to protect.'_

The brunette smiled softly, as she looked between the two silver haired males who were using different parts of her body as pillows for their heads. In some ways, Kadaj and Yazoo were so similar……and yet so different at the same time. But more importantly, Aeris knew both warriors were necessary in helping her accomplish her final Cetra Burden.

For…

Kadaj was her _**light**_…

While…

Yazoo was her…

'?'

Aeris could not think of a word to define Yazoo. He certainly wasn't her _**darkness**_. Another silver haired man took that large portion of her heart. No…Yazoo was something more indefinable. And Aeris knew that without Yazoo, all hope would be lost to Sephiroth's madness. The brunette smiled softly and shakily raised her left hand to lightly brush the gunman's pale bangs away from his closed eyes. The moment her shaking fingers touched the top of his brow…

Mako eyes _snapped_ open.

Aeris gaped in surprise, and she very quickly withdrew her hand away from the gunman's vision. As the pale warrior turned his lazy eyes upon her, the brunette felt her cheeks flush with meek embarrassment.

"Um, g-good morning Yazoo," Aeris murmured shyly to him.

Mako orbs blinked at the blushing brunette in mild confusion.

"Why is it a _good _morning?" Yazoo asked wearily, momentarily mesmerised by the soft green eyes staring down at him. When he realised whose eyes he was currently drawn in by, and whose shoulder his head had unconsciously taken residence on as he slept, Yazoo's felt his eyes dilate in shock. Quickly leaping away from the blushing brunette, Yazoo hid his awkwardness by putting all his concentration into making breakfast.

The brunette raised a hand over her mouth, trying to hide the smile that was threatening to break across her face.

And as she watched Yazoo move around the cave, the brunette realised something quite interesting. The pale gunman was not wearing the blanket she had given him the night before..

'?'

The brunette furrowed her brow.

And then she looked down at herself.

'?'

'_Eh? Why did Yazoo give me this blanket back?'_

Aeris shook her head. Yazoo was so peculiar. She don't think she would ever understand him. The brunette yawned and tried to stretch her back, making sure not to jostle the teen in her lap. But it was an action she soon regretted, for when she pulled her arms up in the air, she heard a very nasty click in her spine. The brunette visibly grimaced when her sore muscles and bones reminded herself of her very awkward, and rather stupid sleeping position last night.

'_Owwwwwwww_. _My back…'_

The flowergirl moaned weakly, momentarily closing her eyes in pain, unaware of the mako tainted eyes which briefly darted her way with concern.

0o0

The smell of Yazoo's cooking eventually woke Kadaj up.

"Mother?" The teen murmured softly, as he innocently blinked up from the brunette's lap. The teen smiled happily when a pair of wide eyes stared down at him, instead of a blurry set of three, five or nine. Kadaj was glad his concussion was finally clearing up.

"How are you feeling Kadaj?" Aeris asked softly, as she brushed a hand through the young teen's hair. Now that the teen was awake, she ignored the physical soreness of her own body, for she cared much more about Kadaj's potential welfare than her own. The young warrior answered the brunette's question by rolling over on her lap and embracing his Mother's waist with both of his arms. "I feel really happy Mother. But I'm always happy when you're here with me."

The flowergirl smiled down at the cute teen on her lap, and placed a gentle hand on top of his head. "Well I'm glad you feel happy Kadaj," the brunette giggled quietly, as she moved her hand under the teen's chin, so she could turn his face to look up at her. "But what I meant is.. does your head still hurt?"

The teen frowned up at the brunette before him, as he really pondered on how to truthfully answer his Mother's question. "It still hurts…a little…but I think I will survive." Kadaj admitted honestly, before stretching his torso across his Mother's lap, so he could hug her much more fondly than he did before. The brunette smiled down at the teen. Kadaj was really reminding her of a lazy kitten mewing for attention from its mother. The brunette could not deny that the teen was far to adorable for his own good. "You're so comfy to lay on Mother," Kadaj murmured softly. "I think I could sleep on you all day." The teen's words caused the flowergirl to blush nervously. Sensing another pair of eyes on her, Aeris shyly turned her gaze upwards, just in time to catch Yazoo snapping his mako gaze back to the fire. The flowergirl tried to catch the gunman's attention, but he made no attempt to look at her.

'_How…strange..?'_

Since Aeris could not catch the gunman's attention, the flowergirl returned her attention back to the cute teen in her lap. It seemed Kadaj had no intention of moving any time soon. The brunette sighed to herself. She really did not want to move the young warrior since he did look quite comfortable. But….

'_**Rumble-rumble..'**_

The brunette felt her cheeks redden in surprise. She knew Kadaj and Yazoo must have heard her stomach rumble. She was so embarrassed! Planted her hand underneath the Kadaj's chin, the brunette raised the teen's face upwards so the warrior's mint starlight orbsmet her warm green-eyed gaze. "Umm, Kadaj? I know you really like using my body as a pillow, but Yazoo has made us breakfast. And well… I can't eat anything if you are laying on my lap." Her words got the desired effect from the young teen. Kadaj pouted feebly, and reluctantly withdrew his arms from his Mother's waist. He slowly eased himself out of her lap, before moving himself so he was kneeling loyally at his Mother's side.

When Kadaj turned his mako tainted gaze towards the fire, he delicately crinkled his nose at the cooked food suspended over the flames

"_Eeeeww._" The teen turned disgusted eyes on his Yazoo, unable to conceal his tone of revulsion. "Why did you cook this filth Brother? You know I hate fish."

"Just eat it Kadaj." Yazoo stated in a bored tone, not caring how the young teen was openly glaring at him now." But isn't there something else in my bag that I could eat instead?" Kadaj asked.

The pale gunman shook his head at his younger sibling. "No Kadaj. This is all we have. So stop complaining and eat."

The young teen grimaced and curled his lip back with a weak snarl. "No way!" The teen knew he'd rather starve than eat something that had burnt eyes…and so many bones… The young swordsman shook his head with disgust. If his Brother wanted him to eat this filth, then Yazoo will have to force it down his throat. For Kadaj would _**never**_ eat fish willingly! He'd die before that ever happened!

It was at this moment that Aeris felt her stomach rumble again. Even if Kadaj would prefer to remain hungry, the brunette was not as picky as the young teen. After all, the smell of hot food was the worst kind of torture for someone who had a very hungry stomach. Aeris smiled at Kadaj, who was glaring at the cooked items poised over the fire. "Um Kadaj, could you be so kind as to pass me one of those cooked fishes?"

The young warrior turned from the ugly burnt fish, to then look at the brunette in surprise. His disgust with the food had made him forget about his Mother's needs.

"Oh! Of course Mother," the teen answered immediately, as he reached his hand out towards the fire, to remove one of the skewered fishes, before handing it to the brunette beside him.

"Oh, just want to warn you Mother, the fish is a little hot, so it might be a good idea to keep your gloves on as you eat," Kadaj advised sweetly. Aeris' eyes crinkled with warmth before kindly accepting the cooked offering from the teen. When the brunette promptly took herfirst bite of fish, she was unaware of the two pairs of eyes silently watching her. As Aeris munched, her tongue absorbed the flavour of the food in her mouth. In truth, the brunette knew the fish was a little too salty for her taste, but since she had not eaten in so long, she really did not care. Smiling in delight after her first swallow, the brunette took another bite again. "You know Kadaj. This isn't all that bad. It's actually quite good. I think you should try one," the brunette managed to say between small bites.

The young teen looked at his Mother in horror, before dubiously looking back at the frazzled fishes on the fire. "You say…. it's good Mother?" The teen questioned warily, as he watched his Mother happily eat the burnt eyed fish.

The brunette nodded and continued to eat.

Kadaj slightly wrung his hands…

He had a dilemma now..

He did not know what to do…

And then…the inevitable question came.

"Mother…?"

Aeris paused in her eating.

"Yes Kadaj?"

"Can I try a little bit of yours? I don't want to waste the other fish if I don't like them," the teen asked shyly, as a weak blush blossomed on his face.

Aeris smiled softly at the teen. "Of course you can Kadaj," the brunette replied kindly, as she handed her cooked fish back to the young teen.

Kadaj tried to ignore the hollow eyes of the burnt food offering. Nervously raising the it towards his mouth, the teen inhaled a breath of courage before delicately taking the most tiniest of bites into the silvery-black flesh of the fish. The gunman grimaced.

It…….tasted awful.

But as he stared down at the fish, Kadaj realised he had bitten into the same area of fish that his Mother's mouth had touched, only moments before.

'…_This is Mother's…..Mother has given me her food…'_

When the teen suddenly realised he had been graced with a rare opportunity of sharing his Mother's food, Kadaj instantly felt his face light up with childlike elation. His excitement nearly made him forget about how much he hated the taste of fish. The thought that he was sharing food that had been touched by the lips of his own Mother…caused the young teen to shiver with emotion. Kadaj no longer cared that he was eating something he once believed to be disgusting. In his mind, any food that was given to him by Mother could never be horrible, instead it was always delicious!

"So you do like it Kadaj?" Aeris asked warmly. Her eyes crinkled with gentle amusement as the teen bobbed his head up and down with joy, before taking another large bite. When Kadaj paused during his third large bite, he realised he was quickly going to finish off his Mother's meal! Looking back to the fire, Kadaj picked up one of the larger fishes and kindly offered the cooked item to his Mother.

"Here Mother, this is for you," Kadaj stated sweetly.

Aeris blinked at the teen in mild confusion.

"You sure you don't want this one instead Kadaj?" The brunette asked softly, dubiously accepting the large, cooked offering from the young swordsman.

Kadaj shook his head. "No Mother, I prefer the one you gave me," he answered honestly, while he continued to munch on in happy contentment.

Aeris ruffled the teen's hair, Kadaj was far too cute at times.

All the while, Yazoo had watched the pair in passive silence. He had occupied himself on the other side of the cave, boiling tea for them all. Pouring the hot liquid into three small cups, the gunman calmly handed one of the hot beverages to his Little Brother, before planting the other cup of tea near the brunette's side. Aeris smiled and thanked Yazoo warmly, and the gunman quickly averted his gaze from her.

When Kadaj finished his Mother's fish, he turned to the woman at his side. "Mother? Where do you want to take us today?"

Aeris felt her heart freeze at the teen's question. The fish she had previously been eating was now momentarily forgotten. Immediately her eyes caught onto passive mako green staring back at her on the other side of the fire.

'…_Yazoo…'_

The brunette bit her lip and turned her gaze to the fire, watching the fish near the fire begin to blacken to a rather distasteful hue. "Um…Kadaj.. We're going to, …walk back the way we came…" Aeris murmured quietly.

"The way we came?" Kadaj blinked in innocent confusion. "What way is that Mother?"

"Umm…." The brunette only focused on the dancing flames before her. "We are going to head South, past the Icicle Inn, so we can reach….the City of the Ancients." Aeris looked down at the fish in her hands. The conversation she was having with Kadaj was making her lose her appetite. But the brunette forced herself to keep on eating. She needed the strength to finalise her journey. Without strength, she could not go on.

"Ah," Kadaj sighed, oblivious to his Mother's mental trauma. "The City of the Ancients…Isn't that the place with all those big weird shells?"

Despite her sadness, Aeris allowed herself to crack a weak smile at the young teen's innocent words. "Yes Kadaj, it's the place with all those big weird shells."

Kadaj grinned at his Mother beside him.

So-…" The teen drawled out slowly.

And it was then that the most dreaded question was asked by the young warrior.

"Why do you want to go to the City of the Ancients Mother?"

When she heard those words, Aeris nearly choked on a fishbone. The brunette had to stop eating now. She could no longer stomach the flavour of food in her mouth. Hearing those inevitable words, the despair Aeris thought she had vanquished in the Sanctuary, rose like a phantom to haunt her memory. The brunette's eyes began to cloud with fear. Looking away from the teen and fire, the flowergirl turned her gaze towards the entrance of the cave, eyeing the white snow glistening in the pale morning light.

"We are going to the City of the Ancients... Because…I.. need ...to pray there.." The brunette answered shakily, unconsciously searching for her white materia on her person. When she had it in her grasp, Aeris clenched the orb between her small, gloved hands.

"Pray?" Kadaj was now even more confused. "What are you praying for Mother?"

The demi-Cetra stared at the pale white orb encased in her fingers. The answer was there in her hands. "For _**hope**_," Aeris murmured weakly.

"Eh?" Kadaj blinked. He had no idea what his Mother was talking about. "Hope? What kind of hope Mother?" The young teen was ready to ask another question but his older Brother intercepted him before he had a chance to. "Patience Kadaj. I'm sure you will find out eventually," Yazoo stated quietly. Aeris glanced at the older male across the fire. She was both surprised and grateful for the gunman's verbal intrusion. But as the pale gunman continued to stare at the brunette, his cold silence reminded the demi-Cetra of her dark Cetra Burden. Suddenly Aeris felt a veil of melancholy emotion drift back over her thoughts..

The brunette knew she would never be able to thank Yazoo for everything he was going to do for her.

Yazoo truly was a _hero_ to the Planet.

"Eh? Find out what?" Kadaj asked, as he turned his questions onto his older sibling. "Brother! What does Mother mean?"

Yazoo turned his gaze from the strange brunette, to focus on the naivety that was his younger sibling.

'_You really are innocent Kadaj… too innocent.'_

The gunman finally realised the importance of his second dark promise. Even though Yazoo knew Kadaj's heart would shatter the moment he learnt of his Mother's fate. The gunman realised…that while Aeris' death was fated…it was not a tale Kadaj needed to know for today …And in truth, Kadaj did not need to know about the woman's death tomorrow or even the day after. Yazoo finally understood Aeris' final plea. The flowergirl wanted Kadaj to maintain his innocence…right until the dark deed had been completed.

'_.......'_

"Umm Kadaj, do you want to finish the rest of this fish too?" Aeris asked softly, hoping to change the subject in the cave onto something a lot less depressing. Fortunately for her, it worked. "Ooh! Yes please Mother!" Kadaj exclaimed eagerly, as the teen accepted the fish and began munching at it like no tomorrow. The brunette smiled softly at the teen's cute antics, before drifting her gaze towards the chilling eyes of Yazoo. Her gentle smile faltered as Yazoo glared at her openly. The brunette had to turn her gaze away from his stern and penetrative gaze. Even if the gunman's eyes did not glow with the same raw intensity of emotion like _**Him**_, Yazoo's eyes still possessed the same entrancing energy that could only be born from the beauties of the dark.

'_Sephiroth_…'

The brunette's eyes darkened with growing despair. Sephiroth...her dark fallen angel. Aeris knew her death was the price she had to pay for her failure. The demi-Cetra bit her lower lip. Already at the thought of his name, Aeris felt tears stinging the back of her eyes. But the demi-Cetra knew she could no longer cry. She could not let herself break, not when the Planet still needed her for one more deed. And in order to face the darkness of Sephiroth's nightmare, Aeris knew she had remain strong.

The brunette bit her lip anxiously. It did not matter how much she tried to will herself to be strong, she could feel her composure crumbling.

And as if the gunman could sense the brunette's inner strength waning, Yazoo began issuing strict commands for Kadaj to start clearing up their camping equipment. Breakfast was over. Now was the time to journey on.

Aeris paid no attention to the moving warriors who were busily packing their equipment away. She was barely aware of the moment when Yazoo removed the tripod from the fire and stamped out the burning flames. Aeris did not even notice how Kadaj was on his knees behind her, collecting all the materia he had thrown around the corners of the cave.

So lost in her own mental world of suffering, Aeris was unaware of the gloved hand that was now hovering in front of her vision.

"Are you ready to go?" A voice asked her quietly.

Aeris jumped in surprise at the sound of Yazoo's voice and the large hand near her face. Her green eyes widened as she looked beyond the hand to stare at Yazoo, who was peering down at her calmly. It seemed the gunman was fully packed and ready to go. The brunette's lips curled when she stared at the outstretched hand that had been offered out to her. Knowing there was someone who could aid her into accomplishing her Cetra Burden made the brunette's heart palpitate with nervous emotion. Taking the gunman's gloved hand in her own, Aeris watched as the pale warrior quirked his lower lip, before calmly pulling the brunette to her feet. Now on her feet, Aeris remembered the evil soreness that was her back. But before she had the chance to verbally whine about the pain of her muscles, a familiar surge of green magick resonated in the cave. When the light faded, Aeris turned to look at Kadaj who was holding his infamous restore materia in his hand. Aeris beamed at him, and the teen beamed back just as happily. Now that everyone was back to full strength, Aeris, Kadaj and Yazoo were ready to head out of the cave to brave the cold, morning snows of Gaia.

0o0

The moment Aeris stepped out of the cave, the first thing she wanted to do, was look up to the sky. But when she did, her pulse began to falter in fear.

'_Sephiroth…' _The brunette mourned silence. The morning sky was tinged with the red imminence of death. Meteor was hanging above them in the heavens. And it was only a matter of time before the red harbinger would lay its claim over the entire surface of Gaia.

'_Sephiroth…'_

'_Why…why…why?'_

0o0

**'_The question is not why._**

**_But __when__? If I do not act now,_**

**_when will this __real __madness __end__?' _**

**'_Aeris, I am not like any of them. _**

**_I am different from Shinra. _**

**_I do not need a company_**

**_to grant me power and respect,_**

**_for I am __power__.._' **

0o0

Realising his Mother's attention had been drawn to the morning sky, Kadaj raised his eyes skywards, and then he nearly dropped his bag in surprise.

"Woah Mother!" Kadaj exclaimed. "The sun looks so much redder than usual!"

"That is not the sun Kadaj," Yazoo explained to his younger sibling, as the trio all paused outside the entrance of the cave to stare up at the ominous red orb hanging in the sky. Having heard Yazoo's words, Aeris darted her eyes to the older gunman, and sent him a nervous look. '_Please don't tell Kadaj anything about Meteor,' _her eyes begged him. The pale gunman mentally sighed and turned his gaze away from the flowergirl.

"Eh? But if it's not the sun, then what is it Yazoo?" Kadaj exclaimed, as he raised a hand over his eyes to protect himself from the sky's red, damning rays. The gunman shrugged his shoulders with mild indifference. "A red moon," the gunman drawled calmly, noticing the teen's unconvinced look.

"Don't be stupid Brother. There's no such thing as red moons. It must be the sun. It has to be."

The gunman sighed to himself. He knew it was best to allow Kadaj to believe anything he wanted to, as long as it wasn't the truth. "Just forget about the sky Kadaj. We don't have time to waste on such irrelevant matters. Or have you already forgotten about your dear '_Mother's' _needs? This woman wants to go to the City of the Ancients? Do you really want to disappoint her by foolishly daydreaming about pointless suns in the sky?"

When his Brother put it that way, Kadaj was beginning to feel a little embarrassed with himself. The young teen shook his head. "N-no Brother. I don't want to disappoint Mother ever." Kadaj turned to look at the female beside him. "I haven't disappointed you Mother, have I?" There was a desperate edge in the young warrior's voice, and Aeris grasped the teen's pale hand to console his unnecessary fears. "No Kadaj. You have never disappointed me. In fact, you have always made me proud."

The teen's eyes lit up with excitement. "Really?"

The brunette nodded with a gentle smile.

Aeris giggled softly at the sight of an adorable 1000 watt smile that was now beaming only at her. Kadaj had lost all interest in the red Meteor ominously hovering above them all. Instead, the young warrior's attention was locked on the only thing he truly cared about in his whole, entire life. _**Her**_…

"So Mother, you wanted to go to the South right?" the teen stated sweetly, as he peered around at the white expanse before him. His mako tainted eyes tried to familiarise himself with the snowy area. He already recognised the location of Gaia's Cliffs on their Westside. Now he was trying to pinpoint the direction of South on the Great Glacier. When the teen found it, he happily pointed his arm out with a cheerful exclamation. "Found it! That's the direction of the South, isn't it Big Brother?"

Yazoo peered around at the icy landscape, before briefly nodding at his younger sibling.

"Yes Kadaj. That's the South."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Kadaj exclaimed cheerfully.

The flowergirl smiled softly and began to walk alongside the two dark warriors. But…. as she walked, Sephiroth's dark words in the Sanctuary haunted her memory. It seemed wherever she looked, signs of Sephiroth's darkness followed her everywhere. But Aeris knew she could not stop moving. She had to keep going forward. Only she possessed the power to defeat the red darkness of Meteor.

Aeris knew she was the last living Cetra.

Gaia's single Light of Hope.

She was going to finalise her Cetra Burden, once and for all.

She was going to walk to her final destiny with her head held high..

She was going to be brave…

She was going to be…

Suddenly, Aeris felt a familiar sensation of a hand grasping her left, followed by another grasping her right. The brunette smiled kindly at the two pale warriors who were now walking on either side of her. Her eyes crinkled with gentle warmth, as she allowed Kadaj and Yazoo to guide her Southwards through the Great Glacier. And as she walked with them, the flowergirl knew she was now experiencing a happiness that not even the red glow of Meteor could take away from her. It was now so clear. If she did not know it before, now she did. Yazoo and Kadaj were her two pillars of strength. They made her keep on fighting forward. And with these two strong warriors at her side, Aeris knew she no longer needed to fear her destiny.

For their warrior spirits were rubbing off on her.

And as she walked with the two pale warriors…for the first time of her life, Aeris Gainsborough no longer felt _**weak**_ and _**useless**_.

Instead….for the first time in her life…Aeris Gainsborough felt… _**strong**_.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"Oh what's that? A monster?" Aeris gasped, stopping her companions on either side of her. She watched as a coloured blur dashed across the snowy mountaintops in the distance. Both Yazoo and Kadaj had seen the moving form hours before the female had even noticed it. "Oh don't worry Mother, it's not a monster, just a snowboarder," Kadaj replied with a careless shrug, remembering his memories of boarding across the snow. Since there was no room to ride on Yazoo's bike, Kadaj had to use a stupid snowboard to travel across the entire expanse of the Great Glacier.

"……."

The teen seethed at the memory. It really had not been fair! Yazoo should have been the one to use the board, while he shared the bike with Mother. The teen hated the thought of being parted from Mother, even if it was just for an hour, or less than a day. The teen never wanted to be parted from Mother. EVER!

And if that previous memory wasn't terrible enough, Kadaj had definitely not forgotten how he had found his beloved Mother in that, dark, tiny, cave. Kadaj remembered the terror that had eclipsed his heart…and the fear… the all consuming fear... when he saw her frozen body. That night, Kadaj believed he was going to lose her! And it was all Yazoo's fault! Reliving the fear of his Mother's death in his mind, Kadaj turned his head to glare angrily at his older Brother, who was calmly walking on the other side of the brunette. Kadaj really could not believe Yazoo's audacity. His Brother had the **gall **to hold his Mother's hand, even when he had been the one who almost let Mother** FREEZE to DEATH**! Had Yazoo already forgotten what he did to her into that cave? Yazoo nearly **KILLED** Mother!

"Grrrrrrrrr.........."

As the teen thought about his older Brother, Kadaj could not understand why Yazoo was always a first class bastard to Mother. Mother did not deserve any form of cruelty. She was so good! So nice and pure! But Yazoo was so damn cold and evil! Kadaj knew that his Brother did not deserve to touch Mother. Yazoo was completely undeserving of his Mother's love.

The young teen unconsciously tightened his grip around his Mother's hand.

And his thoughts darkened with jealousy.

'_Go get your own Mother Yazoo, for you are never taking mine away from me!'_

'_For I'm her favourite!'_

'_And I will always be her favourite!'_

'_You hear me Yazoo! I'M MOTHER'S FAVOURITE! IT WILL NEVER BE YOU BROTHER!'_

'Cos Mother _is mine Brother! She's MINE! She's MINE! MINE! MINE!' _

The young teen glared at his older Brother. However, unfortunately for the teen, Yazoo was passively looking in another direction completely oblivious to the violent glare that was threatening to burn a hole through his body.

'_Yazoo…you bastard.'_

_o0o_

The further the trio walked through the snow, the more snowboarders they saw in the distance.

The flowergirl took this as a very good sign.

"Hmm, if we can see people around here, that means we're getting closer to the Icicle village, right guys?" Aeris asked to the young teen at her right side. Kadaj nodded in agreement. "Yes Mother. You are absolutely right. If you look a bit further, there's some smoke in the distance. Can you see it?"

As they walked, the brunette peered out into the snowy distance with a slight frown. She couldn't see any smoke. Nevertheless, Aeris knew the teen would never intentionally lie to her. He obviously had better eyes than her. That's all. '_Probably had better eyes because of the mako enhancement,_' The brunette thought to herself as she glanced at the teen's mako orbs. 'They are so like _**His**_..'

The brunette shook her head. She had to stop thinking about _**Him**_. She had to be strong now. She had to focus on happy thoughts that made her strong, instead of sad thoughts which made her feel weak and pathetic.

The flowergirl tried to imagine what she would do the moment they reached the Icicle Inn.

Suddenly an image of what she wanted to do popped into her head.

The brunette suddenly stopped in the snow, causing the warriors on either side of her to pause in confusion. They both looked at her, waiting for an explanation.

"Hey! I don't know about you guys, but I'm so in the mood for a creamy hot chocolate, covered with lots of thick whipped cream," the flowergirl sighed yummily, fantasising about the delicious treat her mother Elymra used to make for her during the cold, winter seasons in Midgar. When the two warriors looked back at her in blank confusion, the brunette gasped softly. "Oh please don't say it. Have neither of you tried hot chocolate before?"

Both Kadaj and Yazoo dubiously looked at each other, before shaking their heads slowly. The brunette stared at them in mock horror. "Really? Well when we go to Icicle Inn, we will have to remedy that error. I will buy you one hot chocolate each. Might even throw in some toasted pink marshmallows as long as I have enough gil-"

The brunette mentally paused, realising she had no gil on her person. _Ugh_…_there goes my Hot chocolate idea_. "Well…if I had some gil, I would have bought you some hot chocolate…" The brunette sighed wearily and shook her head. "I'm sorry," she apologised softly. "Forget I said anything guys…" She was feeling like a silly idiot now.

Kadaj beamed at his Mother. "You don't have to apologise to us Mother. I have plenty of gil in my bag. You can take as much as you need," the young teen stated sweetly. The brunette looked at him in surprise. Again, Kadaj was being far too sweet for his own good. "Awww, that's so kind of you Kadaj. Thank you. But guys, you both need to try out some hot chocolate." The brunette winked at the younger teen. "And I know for sure that you will love it Kadaj."

"Of course," Kadaj nodded eagerly. He loved making his Mother happy. "You know I love anything you like Mother. And I'm sure Yazoo will like it too, right Brother?"

"Of _course_…" Yazoo drawled in a tone, which clearly conveyed how the gunman had no intention of drinking anything the flowergirl recommended ever to him. Aeris turned her gaze to the long silver haired male. "Aww come on Yazoo. Hot chocolate is one of the best drinks in the world! I promise if you don't like it then-"

The brunette paused in thought. '_then…?'_

The gunman's cool eyes turned to look down at the female with mild curiosity.

"?"

"Umm…" Aeris fumbled for an answer. "The trouble is, I have never met anyone who has hated Hot Chocolate before, so I really don't know how to answer you.."

"Humph." The gunman's lips twitched upwards. "Aeris, if you can never think of anything intelligent to say, you really shouldn't speak to me."

The brunette blushed in embarrassment. Yazoo had a point, but he did not have to be so rude about it. Aeris was about to say something back but a certain silver haired teen leapt to his Mother's defence.

"Yazoo! _**Stop**_ being _**disrespectful**_ to Mother!" Kadaj snarled on the other side of his Mother. The young teen hated the way his Brother treated Aeris. Why couldn't Yazoo see how special Mother was! Was he completely crazy?

The gunman turned his mako tainted eyes on his younger Brother. "I was not being disrespectful Little Brother. I was simply reminding this woman about the obvious. But unfortunately the obvious is something she cannot always seem to grasp."

"_**Yazoo**_!" Kadaj growled in anger. If his Brother said one more cruel thing about Mother, then he was going to get Souba out!

The young teen turned his attention to the female beside him. "Please don't worry about Yazoo Mother. He really doesn't mean the hurtful things he says," Kadaj stated gently, trying to pacify the flushed brunette. "Yes I do," Yazoo replied calmly on the other side of her.

Kadaj felt his eyes bleed with rage. "_**OH! That's It**_!" The teen released his Mother's hand and dropped his bag, before charging straight towards his Brother. "Yazoo! Kadaj!" Aeris gasped in horror, watching as Yazoo blocked the teen's pale fist with a calm gloved hand. When Kadaj tried to attack his Brother with his freehand, Yazoo swivelled behind the young teen, effectively trapping Kadaj in a secure headlock.

"Agh! Let go me you Bastard!" Kadaj cried out in anger, as he used his white fingers to pry his Brother's arm off him.

The older warrior smirked, and eventually, he removed his grip from the panting and very angry teen. Kadaj dropped down to his knees in the snow trying to get his breath back. "You've gotten weaker Little Brother," Yazoo answered calmly, turning away from his very pissed off Brother and the surprised flowergirl.

And as Kadaj watched his older sibling trudge away from him, the teen was beginning to see red. He clenched his hands at his sides.

Yazoo really needed to be taught a lesson.

The teen fisted his hands in the snow, feeling the icy cool whiteness beneath his pale fingers.

And then suddenly, Kadaj had an idea.

0o0

Yazoo smirked to himself. Kadaj could be so predictable at times. So easy to rouse with anger. He could fight his Little Brother blindfolded…..and he meant that quite literally.

**X**

**X-SPLAT-X**

**X**

The warrior stopped walking. His mind had stopped working. Slowly pivoting around, Yazoo narrowed his eyes at his evilly smirking Brother who was already forming another snowball in his hands. Aeris was standing at Kadaj's side, but Yazoo ignored her.

Yazoo chuckled softly to himself as he watched his younger sibling. "I believe I will allow you that ONE hit for free, Little Brother," the older warrior stated quietly, as his eyes narrowed with the passion for battle. Slowly the gunman knelt his body to the ground, and balled two handfuls of snow in his gloved hands. "But now it's my turn."

"Not a chance!" Kadaj cried out.

And then the fight began.

Aeris yelped in surprise as a snowball buzzed past her head. Kadaj gently pushed his Mother to safety, before rushing straight towards his older Brother. The brunette watched with wide eyes as the most weirdest fight on Gaia happened right before her very eyes.

_Kadaj vs. Yazoo._

'_Who would win?'_

Aeris really had no idea. But as she watched the pair fighting, she was ready to fall to the ground in stitches. After all… no fight could be taken seriously when the main weapon on both sides were _white_ _fluffy_ _snowballs_!

Aeris could not stop laughing. She was really cracking up as she watched the two warriors.

It just seemed so funny.

Two seasoned warriors playing in the snow like children.

Aeris brought her gloved hands together and began cheering both of them on!

Yazoo and Kadaj were so fast and graceful. When Kadaj throw a violent onslaught of snow towards the gunman, the warrior dodged it effortlessly. Then when the teen bent down to form more snowballs with his hands, Yazoo retaliated by throwing a rain of snowballs on top of the young teen's head. But the young warrior dodged each attack with the same speed and dexterity his older Brother had shown only moments before.

"Oh my God!"

The brunette was stunned beyond belief.

They were both so amazing.

Kadaj curved and flexed his body in ways that had the flowergirl reeling in surprise. _Wow_… The teen was crazily flexible. Almost inhumanly so. Aeris knew she would never possess the same flexibility these two warriors seemed to hold in limitless bucketfuls. Aeris was very sure that if she tried to bend her body like Kadaj, her spine would snap in two!

Aeris raised a hand to her throat. She was now trembling with excitement.

The elegancy of the Brother's combative skills made it seem like they weren't really fighting. Instead it seemed like the warrior's were dancing together in the snow. Yazoo and Kadaj made snowball fighting seem like a practised martial art, rather than a fun game favoured by children.

The brunette was completely spellbound. She no longer knew who she wanted to win. They were both so amazing.

0o0

All the while, Kadaj was aware that his Mother had been watching his snow fight. That was why the teenwas making sure to flaunt every ounce of skill he had. Kadaj wanted his Mother to be proud of him. He wanted his Mother to see everything he could do. But more than anything else, Kadaj wanted to show his Mother that he was **_so much_** better than his idiot Brother Yazoo.

The young warrior smirked to himself.

'_I'm will always be her favourite Brother.'_

When Yazoo began to pelt more snowballs his way. Kadaj suddenly had an idea. As the snowballs began to get closer and closer…..

Just one second away…..

Kadaj withdrew Souba from his sheath and repeatedly slashed each snowball into shards so tiny that they all harmlessly fluttered to the snowy ground. The teen quickly spun his twinblade through the air, and as the final ball headed towards him, Kadaj twirled his body and made a vertical slash downwards, cutting the snowball into three precise pieces. The swordsman watched the remaining pieces of snow drop pathetically to the ground. And then his smirking mako eyes stared back at his older Brother.

The young warrior then smiled at Yazoo, revealing a line of gleaming white teeth. '_Is that all you've got Big Brother?'_

Yazoo smirked at the teen, before slowly lowering his throwing arm. The pale warrior shook his head in mild amusement. _'You are such a show-off Kadaj.'_

Believing the fight was finally over, Aeris applauded Kadaj gleefully. Although the flowergirl had seen the teen fight in the field, she had never seen Kadaj move with such grace…and with such skill.

"Kadaj! You are absolutely amazing!"

When the young swordsman heard his Mother's voice, he quickly turned towards her and winked her way. But that wink ended up being a fatal move. For the moment the young warrior closed his left eye, he missed the large white blur sailing towards him. The young teen cursed loudly in surprise when a snowball smashed against the left side of his head.

"Argh!" The teen yelped out in surprise, turning bleeding mako eyes back to his calm, older brother. '_You sneaky Bastard!'_

"You will _**pay**_ for that Brother!" Kadaj shouted, rubbing the snow off his face with his free hand. The gunman made an amused noise in the back of his throat, irritating the teen even more. The pale swordsman kicked a huge glob of snow into the air, and used Souba to force the hunk of it straight towards his arrogant, older Brother. As the white snow began to head straight towards him, the gunman smirked, and his mako tainted eyes flashed with zealous excitement.

XBANG. BANG. BANG. BANG. BANG. BANG.X

Kadaj watched as his attack was destroyed by a few shots of Velvet Nightmare. As the snow began to scatter away in every direction, Kadaj covered his eyes to prevent himself from becoming blinded by the shards of snow. Finally, when the young teen pulled his hand away from his vision, his eyes quickly widened sharply in surprise.

His Brother was nowhere to be seen.

'_What the-'_

Kadaj suddenly heard a small, dark chuckle behind him.

'-fuck!'

It was too late to dodge. The teen hissed as a large and icy coldness slammed straight over his head. The cold snow slid down his face. Down his neck. Some even slipped inside his clothes. "Argh! You slimy bastard!" Kadaj cursed aloud, as he tried to make a violent swipe at his Brother.

Yazoo smirked and dematerialised before his very eyes, reappearing a few yards aways.

"Hmm, would you prefer me to stand still, and allow you to hit me Little Brother?" the gunman chuckled calmly, causing the teen's face to redden with anger.

"Just you wait Yazoo. I'm gonna make a snowball so big that not even you can dodge it!" Kadaj cried, and with that he started scraping a large mound of snow together on the ground. Kadaj was going to show Yazoo who was the best!

Yazoo pretended to yawn, and idly watched his younger Brother amusing antics in the snow. "Take as long as you need Kadaj. You know you can never beat me."

The young teen's shoulder quaked in anger. He would show Yazoo. "Just you wait Brother, just you wait."

0o0

Aeris really could not stop laughing now, even when passive mako orbs turned to face her. "Oh, You two…" She giggled between gloved hands. She really could not get over the idea how Kadaj and Yazoo were snowball fighting just because she brought up the topic of Hot Chocolate.

_**x**_

_**x SPLAT x**_

**x**

Aeris froze. Raising a hand to her head, the brunette felt a horrible, icy, coldness sliding down her cheek. Aeris slowly raised her horrified gaze to meet the calm eyes of a certain silver haired gunman..

'_Yazoo…. He….didn't..'_

The gunman's mako orbs danced with a rare amusement that the brunette had never seen in his eyes before.

And Aeris felt her eyes widen even more in shock.

'_Oh…But he did…..Yazoo really, really did.'_

'_Ooooooooh. He's so gonna pay…'_

Aeris mocked glared at the tall gunman. She was not going to let this man get away with hitting her. The flowergirl bent her knees down so she could pick up a small handful of snow. She took time to ball the snow between her gloved hands. And all the while, Yazoo watched her with a small dark smirk pasted calmly on his lips. Aeris knew the gunman was daring her to hit him.

'_Oooh that man is so arrogant!'_

Aeris pulled her throwing arm back.

'_I'm really going to show him!'_

Aeris made sure to put all her energy into her throw. When the ball left her hand, she was already smirking with victory. She was going to show Yazoo! He was going to pay for all the times he had been mean to her!

Aeris and Yazoo both watched the snowball soar through the air.

Heading closer..

And closer towards its silver haired target..

The brunette's green eyes widened…

And Mako eyes dilated.

Inevitably, the snowball plopped pathetically to the ground, a good few metres in front of its intended target.

"………."

"………."

And the brunette raised a hand over a mouth. Aeris really did not know what to say. Her cheeks were flaming red with embarrassment. The brunette never realised she was such a lousy thrower. The gunman did not even need to dodge her attack! How humiliating! She could only imagine what the pale warrior must be thinking. The gunman stared down at the remains of the snowball on the ground silently, before looking up at the brunette in dubious surprise. Then slowly, Aeris watched as the gunman raised a shaky hand over his smirking lips. And in that moment, the taciturn gunman did something most unexpected. Yazoo began to _**laugh**_! Aeris' jaw dropped open in both surprise and embarrassment as the gunman began to emotionally break down before her very eyes.

"What the …what the…_hell_… was that….?" The pale warrior cried out in mirthful elation, holding his sides in an attempt to control his whooping laughter, to no avail. "Was that…..meant to……hit me? Hahahaha….Your aim…your power…Aeris, I really don't know where to begin..." The gunman could not stop sniggering to himself. He was laughing so much that there were tears in his eyes. "You….you can't even throw a snowball! By the Gods, you really can't do anything. Hahaha! You're so hopeless Aeris!"

The gunman covered a hand over his eyes, laughing wildly to himself. This female was such a joke. It was almost ridiculous how pathetic she was. When compared to him, this woman was pitiful in every way. And their differences were so hilarious! Why did fate decide to partner him with someone so useless? Was this some messed up cosmic joke? One look at the brunette's blushing face caused the gunman to roar again with laughter.

'…_She is so weak……and I have to be the one to……oh by the gods this really is madness.'_

Aeris flushed in embarrassment and watched the hysterical gunman. It looked like he was ready to pass out from laughing so hard. The brunette self consciously rubbed her hands together. She could not help it if she wasn't good at throwing a snowballs. Today had been the first time she had ever thrown one!

Yazoo……He was always so mean to her…

And yet…..

As Aeris continued to watch him…laugh...

The brunette felt her lips lilt upwards into a soft smile.

This was the first time Yazoo had expressed his emotions so freely around her. And even though the gunman was laughing at her expense, Aeris felt herself crack a smile. There was something about Yazoo…something so special about him. And as the gunman continued to laugh at her, Aeris began to softly giggle. When the pale warrior realised the brunette was laughing alongside him, the gunman's crazed laughter died down to a much calmer and less psychotic chuckle.

Yazoo brought a hand to his forehead and shook his head with a mild sigh. "Aeris…you really can't do anything, can you?" the gunman chuckled softly, as he casually walked up to the female, and brushed away the remains of snow he had thrown at her head. The moment his gloved fingers touched her head, Aeris felt her heart catch in her throat. She could not move when the gunman swiped away a chunk of snow from her cheek. Yazoo had never given her so much attention before. It seemed so strange. So unnatural. She was beginning to feel both nervous and excited at the same time. Aeris felt her heart flutter when she eyed the warrior's small grin etched on his lips. This was the first time that Aeris had ever seen Yazoo smile. And the sight of it was beautifully surreal. Aeris opened her mouth. She wanted to see if she could make Yazoo smile even more.

But then…

0o0

_**WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAM**_!

0o0

Yazoo flinched when a very _**large**_, and very _**heavy **_coldness slammed itself against the back of his back. The weight of the snowball caused the warrior to drop down onto one knee. Aeris watched as the slight smile on the gunman's lips disappeared, to be replaced with a more familiar expression. _Irritation_. The warrior turned to glare at his younger Brother.

"I heard everything you said Yazoo! Didn't you hear what I said! I told you to _**Stop!**_ _**Offending!**_ _**Mother**_!" Kadaj cried hotly, as he stomped up to his older Brother and angrily puffed his chest out to him. Mako locked onto mako. "Mother is so much better than you will ever be Brother!"

Soon after the words left Kadaj's lips. Yazoo could not fight the urge. Kadaj watched with wide eyes as his Brother tossed his head back and started to laugh once more. "This woman can't even throw a single snowball Kadaj, and you dare say she is better than me?" The gunman's shoulders were shaking with pure mirth. It was madness. Everything was madness. "Kadaj when did you become such a comedian?"

The teen frowned at his older Brother in surprise. He had not said anything funny at all. "Mother doesn't need to throw snowballs at you to prove her worth to me. I already know Mother is truly amazing in every possible way!"

The gunman chuckled and shook his head, watching as the young teen rushed over to the brunette's side and embracied her warmly. Aeris giggled softly and embraced the young teen back.

Yazoo felt his laughter fading as he watched the pair smiling together. The elder warrior rolled his eyes at them both. Kadaj was getting too predictable now. It did not matter that this woman was talent-less and skill-less. Nothing could prevent his Little Brother from thinking any less of his dearly, _beloved_ Mother. The gunman mentally sighed to himself. Yazoo no longer knew whether he was more amused by Kadaj's attachment to this very weak woman, or disgusted by his Brother's apparent blindness of liking someone who was so….undeniably pathetic.

'………'

"Anyway, lets keep going Mother. I'm really curious to find out what this hot chocolate drink tastes like," Kadaj announced eagerly, as he grabbed the brunette's hand. "We can leave my Big Brother to play alone in the snow! So come on Mother! Let's go!"

Aeris laughed gleefully as Kadaj pulled her forward, and before the brunette realised what they were both doing, they were running together, hand in hand, across the white snows of the Great Glacier.

And Yazoo watched them with calm mako eyes, before eyeing his Brother's bag that had been discarded in the snow.

The gunman mentally sighed again. Seemed like he had been forgotten yet again.

But as soon as he thought that single thought, the flowergirl turned her head, and began waving out to him. "Hey! Aren't you coming along with us Yazoo?". Aeris called out happily, slightly out of breath due to all her running with Kadaj. The pale gunman raised a brow at her. "Or are you really that scared of drinking hot chocolate?" The flowergirl laughed aloud, allowing Kadaj to hug her again.

'…_scared… of a drink?'_

The gunman felt his lips twitch upwards into a calm smile, before shaking his head in mild amusement. When he realised what he had done. Yazoo raised a hand to his own mouth, feeling the slight curve on his lips. His mako tainted eyes widened in surprise, as he watched the brunette laughing alongside his Brother.

'…_Before I could not even attempt to smile in the cave..'_

'…_But now…I can smile so freely…'_

'……'

'_Aeris…what secret have you unlocked inside of me?' _

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

_**40 of pure K/A/Y. How nice x**_

_**Oh just to let you know…I have drafted at 39 more pages for the next chapter, but like the first chapter, I am not going to even think about editing the next chapter until I get………….at least 20 REVIEWS. Yup you read right. 20. Not 10. And yus, I know I'm ebil.**_

_**Anywho, I also have a question for you guys. I would really love to know who your fav SHM is, and who your favourite Aer/SHM pairing is . I have a strong feeling that Seph might have lost a lot of fans, because lately, he really has been a evil 'bleep' to Aeris. It's pretty obvious that I'm waving the flag for Yazoo today. But then Kadaj really is adorable too. And Seph has so much passion and intensity towards Aer….Phew, It really is hard to decide who is the best guy for Aer. Haha**_

_**Anywho I would love to read your opinions. Who knows, your reviews might inspire me to take a more deviant turn with this fic. Although I have grafted basic ideas for where I want TLAA3 to go, there is still space to modify who Aeris finally ends up with. Hahaha…**_

_**So guys, review, review, review.**_

_**Oh and if anyone feels inspired to draw/write any SHM/Aer goodies, I would so LOVE to see them.**_

_**Til next time**_

_**Aer_seph4eva**_

_**P,S**_

_**Remember, 20 reviews. **_


	3. Thread of Hope

**To Love an Ancient 3: The Last Seven Days: An Aeris and Sephiroth Finale.**

**17817 Words **

**38 pages**

**Chapter 3: Thread of Hope**

**Disclaimer**

**Nope, I don't own Final Fantasy 7...but I sometimes adopt their kawaii bishonens! (most specifically the silvered haired kind.)**

**Author's Notes**

**Hey guys! I'm so, so sorry! The reason for my very, very, **_**very**_** slow update is ****illness****. Ever since xmas eve, I have been suffering from nasty bouts of doublevision, and the quack told me to keep away from computers, games, books and anything that strains my eyes for at least three mths…. **

**Ugh…**

**Anywho…**

**Other than having rubbish vision every now and then, I'm A-OK! Lol. **

**Looking at all your reviews now, it seems everyone has at least one favourite Aer/SHM pairing. I'm aware that each Aer/SHM has very strong pros and cons… especially many **_**cons**_** for a certain One Winged 'Bleep' atm lol. But still… despite Seph's psychotic cruelty…I still think he possesses a beautiful and emotional intensity, and for reasons I still cannot comprehend, the A/S pairing remains to be the most ****powerful**** A/SHM coupling (for me at least) in the TLAA series. **

**But I do wonder… can A/S ever be romantically revived again? Hmm....I guess for that to occur, Seph will need to relinquish his thoughts on death and vengeance.….but… I don't know what you guys may think, but I really can't see Sephiroth giving up on his dark dreams of genocide any time **_**soon**_**… not even for a certain flower girl.**

**Sighs…**

**Poor Aeris…**

**Anywho…despite my extreme love for the S/A shipping, K/A has gained more fans in the A/SHM world, and I must agree that K/A is such an ****adorable pairing****! But…. **_**seriously**_**…do you guys think Kad is the right sort of man for Aeris?**

**Remember he has a major oedipal complex going on.**

'………'

**Anywho… moving past K/A and onto another very interesting A/SHM pairing. I'm well chuffed to see more readers proudly swinging the SHM flag for Y/A. **_**Yes**_**! **_**Finally**_**! The last time I checked, I think there was only one registered Y/A fic on this site... Poor Yazoo. He's such a wonderful character, but he is rarely written about! I wish there were more stories to read about him. Although most fics involving Yaz usually end up being yaoi. Not that I'm anti-yaoi, but I'd love to read more hetero Yaz/? fics x**

**Anywho, I have a request for anyone who is willing to take up the challenge. I wonder whether anyone is brave enough to write a Y/A, K/A, Y/A/K, S/A, heck even a Genesis/Aer, KH-Riku/Aer, KH-Seph/KH-Aer or a KH-SHM/Aer fic, because I would sooooooooooo love to read it! And of course, I would be more than happy to write a nice and juicy review for you if you do :) x **

**Ahem x**

**Moving on! **

**As for my musical muses for today…**

**I was searching on youtube, and I found a rather nice song by Kamelot, called Elizabeth: II. Requiem For The Innocent dedicated to Kadaj. I think the lyrics really fit Kadaj's character stupidly well. Especially at the beginning of the song. **

_Mother can you hold me  
One more time again  
Whisper "I still love you" in my ear  
Mother did you lie?  
Would you tell me why?  
There is something deeper that I fear  
Justify the malice I portray  
Daggers in the darkness find your way  
When the moon is full and piercing bright  
Drench me with your innocence tonight.._

Don't you want to die…?

**What do you guys think of the lyrics? Oozes Aer/Kad for me x**

**KH- Simple and Clean remix**

**I admit it! I used to be a Riku/Sora shipper (actually, I still am haha!), and when I listen to this remix, for some bizarre reason the song doesn****'****t sing out innocent themes of Kairi/Sora Disney love. To me, I sense a darker spectrum of emotion that fits so much better with shonen-ai or complex non-canon pairings. Lol x**

**HYDE-White Song**** is such an adorable winter song. It fits perfectly with the white Y/A/K scenes in Icicle Inn.**

**Yoko Kanno- Beauty is within us**

**Just three words. Gorgeous. Gorgeous. Gorgeous!**

**Anywho enough of my ramblings and on with the fic! X**

**0o0o0o0o0**

****

Midgar. Shinra HQ: The President**'****s Office**

'Damn it!' The President of Shinra cursed to himself. His head was absolutely _killing_ him! Whether his headache emerged from OD-ing on too many mako-shots, or by drinking too many cups of black coffee, 'or maybe a combination of both', the blond mentally supplied, whatever was causing the President's pounding headache was completely frustrating him to a point that he could not seem to concentrate on anything… most specifically a _greasy_ haired scientist, who was currently pacing a hole in his carpet, and prattling complete nonsense about incoherent theories that made absolutely no sense to no-one!

"_Yes__……__it is as I have always anticipated__…__the successful ones__……__they have came to answer His call__…" _Hojo rambled on in unnecessary excitement, pacing back and forth with candid glee.

".........."

The President raised a slightly shaking hand to his temple, and rubbed his tired and aching brow. Rufus was _almost_ used to Hojo's meetings of pure and megalomaniacal garbage. If it were any other day, the President might have had the rare patience to listen to the scientist's psychotic prattle. But today… what with his damn headache being the only thing he could seem to _think_ about…the President was very quickly losing his cool. And the more the President watched the greasy haired irritation on the other side of his desk, the more he realised how _easy_ it would be to _remove_ said irritation out of his life for_ good_….

And it would be _so_ _easy_..

All he needed to do, was remove his slim and very _expensive_ PHS from the insides of his white coat pocket…and make _one_ little phone call…and then he could watch in contended amusement as Rude strode inside his office to throw the greasy haired nutcase from the _top_ window of the Shinra HQ Building.

'_Hmm__……'_

The President felt his lips lilt upwards, as he envisioned Hojo's body, lying bloodied and mangled on the grey asphalt outside. And with that tempting thought in mind, Rufus allowed his right hand to inch towards his left coat pocket. But as he did so, the blond was momentarily drawn to the words of the still rambling scientist.

"_Ah yes__…__there is also His Reunion to account for__…__ hmmm, this is exactly as I theorised__…__. those who are incomplete will all assemble at the point of His Ascension to__…"_

'_?__'_

The blond quirked a mild eyebrow. He did not need to wonder who this mysterious '_He_' could be. Already, the President was envisioning a terrible legend, encased in long, black leather and cold armour.

"…_S1__'__s mimetic genes will self-assuredly merge back with the original source to__…"_

And at the memory of those inhuman, acid-green eyes, Rufus had a sudden epiphany.

'_Hn__…__If it was not for this irritating imbecile standing before me now, Sephiroth would have never came into being__…'_

"………"

The President took a moment to silently appraise the aesthetics of the very scrawny scientist before him.

'But it s_eems such a pity__…__ how such catastrophic greatness could be born from something so disgustingly weak__…__.__'_

And with that last thought swaying the President's mind, the blond _very_ _reluctantly_ removed his hand from his white coat pocket. After all,Rufus realised it was far more beneficial to his company if he kept this insipid fool alive.

'_For who knows?__…__Hojo may create me another Sephiroth__…__or perhaps an entire army of Sephiroths__…__ who will bow to my every whim__…__.__'_the President mused to himself, as he turned all his power-hungry thoughts to the future.

All the while, a certain greasy haired scientist continued to ramble out words of inexplicable thought. Hojo was too lost in his own worldly theologies of '_Calamities_', '_Ancients_', '_Sephiroths_' and '_Reunions_, to even realise that the President was no longer listening to him.

"............"

Many minutes were sacrificed to memory before Rufus turned his gaze downwards, to eye the time on his left wrist. The President frowned. He had not forgotten about his next meeting with the Head of the PSMD (Public Safety and Maintenance Department). It seemed the black bearded fool Heideggar, had finally made himself useful and uncovered a strong lead on Sephiroth's current whereabouts. Heidegger had found evidence of unnatural seismic activity occurring near an old extraction site located on the Northern Continent, and Rufus knew that any strange phenomena concerning _Him_ had to be looked into _immediately_. However, as Tseng was still out of commission, Rufus was ready to send his remaining Turks out on a recon mission to study the strange happenings of the North.

After all, any sign of _Him _could _not_ be ignored.

'……_Him__…__ Sephiroth__…'_

Rufus knew it was only because of _Him_, that he had willingly agreed to the many mako alterations of his body, all in the name for _Power_. And after each painful lab session, where his body lay naked and trembling inside the cold radioactive green, Rufus knew he was slowly getting _stronger_.… the President could feel _something_ _inside_....there was _something_ _there_……._something foreign _throbbing deep inside his glowing veins… Rufus knew it was a hidden secret of an _unknown_ _power_…an _ancient_ _strength_ which hummed with a complete, and unimaginable intensity.

'_And I will use this Ancient Power pulsing inside of me__…__ to guide me to the mako quenched grounds of the Promised Land__…__And when that fated day comes__…__I will have no equal__…__Not even a man like Sephiroth could stop me-__'_

Soon the violent ringing of a pager awoke the President from his power-hungry thoughts. Removing the small electronic item from his white coat pocket, Rufus scanned the message across the tiny screen with a small, cold frown.

'_And how could I forget my meeting after Heidegger, when I get to see my most __favourite__ lady from the WDD__…'_

'_The Head of Shinra's Weapons Development Department…'_

'_Scarlet_…'

And from that single name, the President's zeal for world domination _died_. Rufus mentally shuddered, already envisioning the scanty piece of red _string_ the old WDD director would _attempt_ to wear as a dress for him. ' '_Attempt__'_ _being the key word_…' The President had almost forgotten the amount of times the old blonde had tried to seduce him……and _failed_. Rufus was sure Scarlet's attempts were nearly pushing onto triple figures.

The young President mentally groaned. If Scarlet wasn't so damn good at doing her job, the blond would have sacked her a long time ago for her extremely bad taste in whorish fashions.

"…….."

The President rubbed his forehead with a displeasured sigh. Rufus knew he had to stop thinking about irrelevant matters such as old, disgusting blondes, and focus on what was truly important.

'_I.e. Getting this rambling nutcase out of my office!__'_

"Oh just get to the _damn_ _point_ Hojo!" the blond growled out irritably as the warped scientist continued to chatter to himself, oblivious to the fact that Rufus had not been listening to any of his scientific verbiage for the past ten minutes.

'_It is no wonder father saw Hojo as a second-rate fool to Gast.__'_

After Rufus' angry exclamation, Hojo stopped pacing and he paused mid ramble. The smile which had previously materialised across the scientist's lips momentarily deflated into a small but clearly discernable frown. Readjusting his glasses over his aquiline nose, the demented scientist tried to re-explain his genius findings to a human whose mind was much more inferior than his own. "President, my sources have informed me how you've read my extended report on Prima Materia, correct?"

"Not recently," the President admitted distantly, much more interested in the cuffs of his white shirt than anything Hojo had to say to him.

Small, beady eyes narrowed onto bored mako blue. '_Stupid_ _fool_,' the scientist's eyes seemed to glare. "Well if you found time to reread my most recent thesis, you would understand why a Superbolide of colossal proportions will soon materialise across the surface of this Planet."

'_A Superbolide?__'_

The Shinra President was semi-aware of a red blot hanging up in the heaven's above. After all, his window-cleaner had curiously spoken about a _'strange red star' _when she opened up the blinds to his office earlier on this morning. However, as Rufus was far too busy signing yesterdays paperwork, he had no time to stare up at unimportant matters concerning coloured stars and other silly whatnots. Everyone in Shinra knew Rufus was a busy man, and busy men simply had no time to daydream about superficial thoughts, especially when said superficial thoughts could not aid in generating further capital for his company. Still, the President's interest had been slightly perked by the scientist's reference to a colossal '_something_' in the sky. _Slightly_.

"Hojo, would you care to _quickly_ explain what a Superbolide is before taking your leave from me?"

If it was indeed possible, the scientist's small, beady eyes narrowed even further. "Well if you found time to re-read my most recent thesis, you would understand the precise origin and fate of this inevitable Superbolide. After all, the subject was addressed in Chapter 86, under the topic, the Ultimate Destructive Magicks of Ancient Yore."

Rufus frowned at the scientist. "Hojo, if I recall correctly, your last thesis was over 2000 pages long," the blond sighed, irritably rubbing his forehead with barely disguised displeasure.

'_This is ludicrous!__'_

Despite Hojo's scientific acumen, the man nevertheless lacked the ability to explain anything in a simple or concise manner. The President non-subtly flickered his mako eyes back to his watch and frowned sharply at the time. Rufus knew Heideggar would be moments away from his office.

"Oh just get to the damn point Hojo! I don't care about the Scientifics of the matter. All I want to know is whether that '_red star__'_ in the sky…is a _threat_ to my company or _not_!"

Hojo mentally huffed and tried not to roll his eyes at the idiocy of the blond haired male before him. "What I am 'trying to explain' to you _Sir_, is the precise reason _why_ a fireball so large happens to be falling in the eastern regions of our solar system. And before you even try to ask me, the answer is no, this is _not_ a work of nature. That '_strange red star_' currently hovering in the sky is actually a _Meteor_, an eternal fireball whose presence was scribed in the Ancient Chronicles of Yore. And although my nine science majors are not within the fields of astrophysics, I have studied enough quantum mechanics in the last eight years to analyse the trajectory and light spectra of this potential Superbolide, and the findings I found for it were actually quite remarkable..."

The scientist was starting to ramble again, and it caused the President to throw a hand over his tired eyes. It wasn't even lunchtime and the blond was ready to head back to bed.

"-based on my observation of the Superbolide's power-law distribution, in conjunction with the gravitational pull of the Planet, theoretically I'd say there is no more than 156 hours left, before Meteor transforms into a Superbolide and destroys our entire Planet in one, single blast," the demented scientist finished with a proud and very satisfied smile.

'_Meteor__…__transforms into a__…__and destroys our-__…'_

"_!__"_

Now Rufus paused mid-thought, and stared at the brilliantly _smiling_ scientist for what seemed like the first time since he had entered his office for his bi-monthly report.

'_Only Hojo could smile after saying such things_.'

"Hojo, enough of your foolishness! Just tell me what mako-power will be necessary to destroy this blasted Meteor!" the President growled out irritably, leaning forward in his chair so he could focus every ounce of his attention on the greasy haired scientist standing before him. Before this meeting with Hojo, Rufus was unaware of any dangers looming up in the heaven's above.'_Grr_….._Why doesn__'__t anyone ever inform me of important matters anymore?__'_ The President quickly materialised his mobile in his hands, ready to contact the WDD for immediate assistance. The President realised his meeting with Heidegger would have to be cancelled. After all, Rufus had more pressing matters to attend to.

I.e. The _extinction_ of the entire Planet!

All the while, the still smiling Hojo who had been watching the agitated President, suddenly felt the urge to do something most unusual. He began to laugh. The sound, although quiet, was a sickly low sound, and it seemed almost deafening in the cold silence of the President's sterile office.

The sound did not impress the President at all.

"Hojo! Stop that infernal racket at once!"

The President glared angrily, when the scientist deliberately turned his back to him, attempting to stifle his foolish laughter behind his hand to no avail. "Hojo! How dare you turn your back to me! Now stop laughing like a bloody idiot and answer my question! What mako power will we need to destroy this damn-" Rufus broke off suddenly, when the familiar voice of Scarlet crackled through his PHS. And in that instant, the white-suited male was back in his Presidential role, barking out orders for the WDD director to come to his office _immediately_!

'_Hehe hehe heh.__'_

All the while, the mad scientist's scrawny shoulders continued to shake with a vile and twisted mirth. As Hojo's face was concealed from the President's angry gaze, the scientist allowed his eyes to narrow beneath his small spectacles, and his lips to morph upwards into a smile of unadulterated glee.

'_You fool, you cannot destroy her. No-one can, for __He__ will never let you! And now it is far too late to even try, for my __Son__'__s__Reunion__ has already begun!__'_

0o0o0o0o0

Cosmo Canyon: Cosmo Inn

0o0o0o0o0

When Cloud awoke the next morning, he was stunned to find glowing eyes, the shade of freshly spilt human blood, staring deep into the depths of his soul. The blond's mako orbs jolted upwards in raw surprise. Instinct screamed at the young swordsman to leap straight off his bed and find his blade, so he could fight the malevolent intruder gazing at him from within the dark. But as soon as that thought came over him, the blond quickly realised the red eyes staring back at him were _not_ the eyes of an enemy, instead they were the eyes of…

"_Vincent_!" The Ex-SOLDIER gasped out breathlessly, clutching a hand over his breast, in an attempt to calm the rapid tempo of his beating heart.

The dark gunman blinked calmly at the shocked blond."Cloud?" Vincent murmured quietly, as he moved away from the blond's direct line of vision. "Are you feeling alright?"

When the young swordsman heard the gunman's lugubrious voice pierce the silence of the air, the blond allowed his heaving chest to relax, _slightly_. "Y-yea, I'm fine," Cloud voiced faintly, eyeing the tall cloaked male who had taken close residence beside the blond's bedside. Other than the gunman's blood tinted eyes, the rest of the Ex-Turk's features were shrouded by the shadows of early morning darkness. In truth, it was a rather unnerving sight to see, even to a battle hardened warrior such as Cloud Strife. "You just surprised me Vincent, that's all."

The gunman nodded to himself, seeming unfazed by the blond's honest answer. "I see," the Ex-Turk answered quietly, lost in momentary thought. When the gunman's crimson gaze turned away from his blond leader, to observe the five other beds in the room, the blond realised he could finally breathe again… that is until Vincent opened his mouth to ask Cloud a most unexpected question.

"Cloud, do you intend to abandon Avalanche?"

The swordsman blinked at the dark gunman, suddenly at loss for words. "Huh?"

And so the Ex-Turk explained himself.

"Last night Cloud, I found you…_sleepwalking_. You were heading towards the entrance of Cosmo Canyon. You told me you were going to the _North_ to find _Sephiroth_. Do you remember saying such things to me Cloud?"

Vincent frowned at his leader's face. From the blond's goggle-eyed reaction to his words, the gunman doubted that Cloud remembered anything.

" I…._sleepwalked_ …to find _Sephiroth_?" Cloud murmured slowly, as his eyes became distant. The young warrior had no recollection of doing such a strange thing. "No...I don't remember…" the blond answered weakly, turning his gaze down to his bare hands, which were now unconsciously clutching the edges of his worn bed coverlet. Vincent frowned at the blond's nervous disposition, and then his own gaze became distant. "I see," the gunman finished quietly. He folded his arms across his chest, and observed the blond haired enigma, with a look of silent contemplation.

"………."

After an uncomfortable amount of silence passed between the two warriors, the young leader of Avalanche began to reluctantly speak. "Vincent…Did I…did I _really_ try and go to _Him_?"

The Ex Turk's nod was _almost_ imperceptible in the darkness of the Inn. Fortunately for Cloud, his mako enhanced senses caught the gunman's slight movement. '_And so I did__…'_The swordsman released a shaky breath of air, and swept a hand through his long, unruly spikes. '_Oh Gods_.' The blond had no idea whether Vincent's newly unveiled discovery was a good, or bad omen for them all. Deep down Cloud knew any mystery associated with Sephiroth tolled with the chilling bells of death. And as the blond closed his eyes, his mind unconsciously tugged towards foreign thoughts of the _North_. In the blond's mind, Cloud could already envision _pale fields of white purity_….and…._delicate black feathers fluttering in the wind_. But as soon as Cloud reopened his eyes, the strange images began to dissipate into the dark and familiar room of the Cosmo Inn, and no matter how many times the young swordsman re-closed his eyes, the strange images did not once reappear.

_0o0_

'_?__'_

'_W-what__…__ was that?__'_

'_Did I just see__…__ a premonition__…__.?__'_

'_The __North__…__..?__'_

'…_.What is so significant about the __North__?__'_

_0o0_

As Cloud took the time to logically think up an answer, the blond soon realised the Northern Continent was the only area on Gaia that Avalanche had _not_ searched for signs of Sephiroth's wake. The main reason being was actually quite simple. Avalanche did not possess a suitable vehicle to cross the ocean, and although Cloud was well aware of Cid's Tiny Bronco; a tiny plane they had all used as a makeshift raft in the past…the blond was reluctant to reuse the damaged plane in such a way again. For the last thing Cloud wanted to do, was send his entire team out into the middle of the ocean, using a tiny, broken plane as their only method of transport.

'_I can see it now__……__._

_We__'__d all end up stranded__…_

_And all it would take is one sea monster,_

_Or one bad strike of weather, _

_And then we are all __dead__…__'_

The Leader of Avalanche brought a slightly quivering hand across his face.

'…_But__…__. we have seven__…__._

_no__…__less__ than seven days before Meteor comes to annihilate us all__…_

_and __even if it means__doing really, really __stupid__ things__… _

_like__ using a plane__…__ as a boat__…_

_it doesn__'__t matter how I go about it__…__. _

_I__ must do whatever it takes to reach the Northern Continent__……__._

_so I can find__…__ and __kill__ Sephiroth__…'_

And with that mental promise of _His_ death guiding all his thoughts forward, the blond removed his fingers from his face, and stared down at his slightly shaking hands, hands that were marred with battle-scars of the past.

'_But__…__not all of these scars were made in battle.__…'_

'_No,__'_

'_Most of these scars are burn marks. Burn marks from that night__…__.five years ago.__'_

And with that thought, the swordsman cradled his head in both of his hands, and closed his eyes, in a weak attempt to stop the _Nightmare_ from invading his mind once again. But the warrior knew it was futile. Cloud knew there was no escape from the Nightmare that was Nibelheim. The memory of that fateful night five years ago had been so terrible, that many of the unspeakable horrors had permanently burned themselves into the back of the blond's retinas. And no matter what the Cloud tried, his mind would _not_ forget them. Even now, Cloud could envision the heat of the roaring flames. He could smell the unholy stench of innocent burning flesh, and the putrid taste of choking smoke. He could hear the wailing cries of both adult and children, as they succumbed to the intense horror of the flames, or fell by the precise silver of _His _sword. But more than anything else, Cloud could _not_ forget the way the wood had burned at his hands, as he desperately clawed through the fiery debris, to reach the blackening corpse of his dead mother.

'_And Tifa__…__..__'_

From the memory of the female's name, the young blond felt his breath hitch and his heart shudder. In the warrior's mind, Cloud could already envision the dark haired beauty, lying bloodied and broken across the reactor stairs, sporting a gaping, crimson wound that bled profusely down her pale and unmoving form.

'…_.Tifa__…__.__'_

The swordsman closed his eyes in shame.

'_I was unable t__o protect you__…_

_Or my family__…__.'_

'_But now__…__by some ironic twist of fate__…__._

_It is now up to me__…_

_to destroy the same man _

_who destroyed our hometown__…__.._

…_But__…'_

Mako eyes flashed open inside the gloom of morning darkness.

'_If I __fail __to bring __Him__ down__…'_

'_Death__…__will awaits us all__…'_

The warrior knew his arms were shaking dangerously, whether to fight the urge to laugh or weep, the blond did not even know himself. Deep down, the young swordsman knew he did not possess the strength to fight against any malevolent calamity.

'_And yet__…__the clothes on my back and the sword to my side prove otherwise._

_Am I not a former First Class SOLDIER?_

_Chosen from the best of the best? _

_Wouldn't my former SOLDIER status prove I have the necessary strength_

_to bring down a colossal force like __Him__?'_

Cloud sighed.

And his mind despaired.

Eventually, when the swordsman slowly turned his head upwards, as if to seek guidance from an unknown deity from above, Cloud soon remembered he was not the only one awake in the room. When blue eyes met crimson, the blonde quickly averted his head to the side. The swordsman had almost forgotten about a certain Ex-Turk. '…_and why is he standing so close to my bed in the first place?__'_

"What time is it now Vincent?" the blond murmured feebly, looking around for what seemed like the first time since he had first awoken. His mako orbs eyed the five beds in their booked room, where his entire team, except Red (who had decided to rest with his Grandfather), and Vincent (whose bed seemed strangely un-slept in) rested quietly under the peaceful influence of sleep materia.

'_After all, no sane mind could sleep so peacefully when the darkness of the apocalypse loomed over their head.__'_

"…………."

Vincent momentarily paused in his latest hobby of observing a certain blond swordsman, to eye a small digital clock, sitting on a wooden dresser near his leader's cot. "It's a little after four in the morning Cloud," the gunman responded quietly.

"Ok," the blond murmured to himself, stretching and cracking his back, before rising from his small cot, to physically and mentally prepare himself for the long and arduous day which would soon await him. As the warrior slipped his boots on, followed quickly by his worn, battle gloves and battered sword sheath, the blond paused for a moment to eye Vincent, whose dark gaze had finally left his person, and were now staring towards the entrance of the room, seeming lost in their own personal world of despair.

The blond frowned in thought, and then his mako gaze momentarily glimpsed back to Vincent's untouched bed.

"Have you rested yet Vincent?" Cloud asked softly, picking up his broadsword and tying the wide-blade securely to his back.

Dark crimson eyes glimmered in the direction of the blond male. "No Cloud," Vincent admitted calmly with a casual shake of his head. "Instead, I wanted to watch you sleep."

The blond blinked at the gunman, and paused in his actions of tying a pauldron to his shoulder.

"… you…. were watching me sleep?" The swordsman repeated in a pseudo-casual tone, feeling the pale hairs on his arms prickle upwards in apprehension.

At the sight of the blond's unease, Vincent mentally chuckled to himself. The gunman was ready to let his leader know that his nervousness was sorely misplaced. After all, there was only one person who could possess the power to _quicken_ the blood of a man such as Vincent Valentine. But…..this person no longer lived on the green planes of Gaia.

'_Lucrecia. My beautiful Lucrecia…'_

And so the dark gunman explained himself. "I did not wish to awaken this morning Cloud, to find Avalanche without their leader."

The swordsman blinked in surprise, confused for but a moment, before understanding dawned in the hollow depths of his eyes. "Oh…I…see." Cloud murmured weakly, before quickly securing his metal pauldron into place.

_'So Vincent was just checking that I didn't try to sleepwalk out of here……Whew…for a second there, I thought Vincent was watching me because he was……'_

'……_.…'_

The room of the Cosmo Inn became unhealthily quiet.

Finally it was Vincent who broke the silence of the two taciturn warriors. "Cloud, should I wake the others now so you can tell them of your plans for today?"

The blond vaguely nodded, and his mako eyes flickered across the many beds of his resting team members, to momentarily pause over a cot where his childhood crush was still sleeping peacefully. The swordsman frowned to himself. Seeing the usually robust fighter lying so delicate and still, roused an unforgettable memory of the fist-fighter's dark crimson blood, dripping slowly down a long, reactor stairway.

'_Tifa__…' _the swordsman almost breathed. A ghost of emotion, passed silently across the swordsman's face, to then fade away like a breathless whisper.

"Yeah Vincent, wake them," Cloud murmured quietly, as he turned his face away from the past, to focus his all thoughts back to the present.

And so the Ex-Turk walked over to the digital clock he had seen previously, and set the alarm to go off in precisely five minutes. "So are you sure you are feeling alright Cloud?" the dark gunman asked eventually. The blond shrugged helplessly. "I don't think I could feel any worse," Cloud admitted with a small, humourless laugh. Vincent smirked beneath the crimson of his mantle. The gunman knew the blond's feelings all too well.

And then, five silent minutes slowly ticked on by, so that eventually…

0o0

BEEP BEEP BEEP! BEEP BEEP BEEP!

BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!

!

BEEP BEEP BEEP! BEEP BEEP BEEP!

0o0

"Oi! What the fuck is that noise?" was the first cry.

"Guys! Are we under attack?" was the next.

"AGHH! Has Meteor came already?"

"ZZZZZ." Someone still continued to snore despite the ear-splitting alarm beeping in the once silent room of the Inn.

Vincent refused to turn off the shrill alarm until every single member of Avalanche had willingly vacated their beds. Although there was one slight problem. Despite the ear-splitting alarm that was damaging nearly everyone's hearing in the vicinity, for reasons no-one could seem to understand, Barret was snoring rather happily in his own cot. In the end, it was Yuffie who angrily stomped over to Barret's bedside and tossed two large pillows at his face. When the burly gunman did not awaken, the young ninja lost it, and began to hysterically jump up and down on Barret's cot. Eventually Barret woke up with a few choice cuss words, and it was only then that Vincent turned off the loud alarm, planting it back where he had found it previously, on a nearby dresser.

"Oi! What is the fucking meaning of this Cloud?" Cid swore angrily, scratching his stubbly chin, which was in dire need of a shave. In the early darkness of the room, the blond pilot fumbled inside his pockets for his box of Cosmo smokes. "Damn I feel like shit," the engineer grumbled to himself.

"Yea Spiky! 'dere better be a good reason why you woke us all up like 'dat," Barret bellowed out loudly, his voice almost rivalling the volume of the irritating alarm clock they all heard moments before.

Soon the room was illuminated by a bright and piercing light. Tifa pulled herself away from the light switch with an idle smile. "Cloud?" the busty brunette asked softly, making her way to her blond haired leader. "Have you thought of a way to stop Meteor?"

The young swordsman stared at the pretty female for one intense moment, before reluctantly shaking his head with genuine regret and looking away. "Not to stop Meteor no…but…" the blond warrior paused and nodded in Vincent's direction. "I do know where _Sephiroth _is…"

"What?! You know where _He_ is? Where is _He_ Cloud? Where is _S-Sephiroth_?" Tifa asked softly, almost too afraid to say _His_ name.

"_Sephiroth__…__He_ is to the _North_," the blond stated quietly.

Everyone fell silent and gaped at their leader.

"But…how do you know this Cloud?" Tifa asked in surprise, not disbelieving the blond's words for one moment.

"I just know _He_ is Tifa. After all this time, we have only searched the Southern, Western and Eastern continents of the Planet, and yet we have neglected the Northern border. It is a logical deduction, isn't it? The North is the only place that _Sephiroth_ could be located. _He_ has to be there."

Tifa stared at the blond, ready to respond to him, but then a certain blond pilot beat her to the punch.

"So the North is just a hunch then Spiky? No definite proof or anything?"

All eyes turned to the smoking engineer.

"Yeah…" Cloud replied feebly, as he scratched the back of his head. He was aware of how the pilot rolled his eyes at him, stifling his mild, yet disgusted chuckle with another calm drag of his cigarette.

"Hn. I think Cloud is right," Vincent admitted quietly. Now every member of Avalanche turned their attention to the dark, crimson cloaked gunman, who calmly stepped forward to address his entire team. "Last night, I found Cloud trying to leave Cosmo Canyon. His unconscious desires to find Sephiroth were driving his body towards the direction of the North. We cannot ignore this sign that fated has granted us, for I believe the secrets of the North will reveal an inevitable truth not only to Cloud, but to us all."

Soon after Vincent retreated back against a wall, a certain wutainese princess thought it was now her time to vocalise her 'wise' opinion to her team. "Hey guys! Aren't you forgetting something kinda importantish? We all know Cloud is known for having plenty of mental spazz attacks on us-" the young ninja paused and held up her hands as Tifa, Cloud and Barret all glared at her in warning. "No! Don't misread what I'm saying guys. I'm not intentionally trying to offend our leader…it's just….well…are you guys really gonna go along with the rambled words of a less than semi-sane-ish, sleepwalking, definitely not in his complete mind, Ex-SOLDIER boy? In my opinion, I think this plan is crazy! I mean…. _really_ crazy! And 'sides, I dunno about you guys, but I've never stepped foot on the Northern Continent! And even if Sephiroth is actually hiding amongst all the snow there, how the heck are we gonna find him before the fall of Meteor?" The ninja was wringing her hands in actual fear now. "Actually no, _forget_ about finding Sephiroth. I want to know how any of us can _reach_ the Northern Continent before Meteor falls down and blows us all into tiny smithereens? Guys! Listen! We need to be much more realistic here! If we don't think things through properly, in _less_ than seven days _WE_._ ARE. ALL._ _GONNA_. _DIE_!"

Everyone became silent, as they absorbed the ninja's hysterical last words. No one was exempt from the growing terror that was circulating around the room, giving rise to unconscious feelings born only of death and failure. Cloud bit the inside of his cheek The young warrior could feel his own fears rising from within the darkness of his own mind.

And that was why Cloud was so afraid…

But not just afraid.

He was _bloody petrified_!

For deep down, Cloud knew he was not strong enough to fight for the Planet's future.

'_Shit_.'

The blond swordsman closed his eyes and uneasily fisted his hands at his sides. Cloud did not know what to do. What could he do? What could any of them do to prevent the end of the world? Cloud knew there was no point in pretending to his team anymore.

'_Death will soon await us all.'_

"I guess we could use the Tiny Bronco," Cloud chuckled humourlessly. Tears were already stinging the corners of his eyes, but his friends did not seem to notice, since they were all too lost in their own fears, that they could not see his own.

"My poor, poor flying baby…using her as a fucking boat again." Cid sulked to himself, whilst shaking his head sadly. The engineer was _almost_ too miserable to smoke now. Stubbing out his nearly finished cigarette, the pilot calmly reached for another. As Cid placed the cigarette into his mouth, he removed his prized lighter from his pocket. It was only when the engineer's eyes caught anall too familiar sight of a half naked female, painted on the side of his lighter, that the old blond allowed his face to crumple fondly with painful nostalgia."If only I had my Highwind Cloud," Cid murmured to himself, as he stared at the winking, bosomy red-head from his past. "…if only I had my baby, I could have flown all of you guys over to the Northern Continent in less than a jiffy-"

Blue mako eyes flickered in the direction of the pilot.

"?"

But Cid continued to stare down at his prized lighter with warm reverence. "-but 'friggin Shinra stole my baby away from me years ago."

The blond swordsman frowned. Cloud vaguely remembered Cid speaking of a plane that was stolen by Shinra, but the story was soon eclipsed by the memory of an abandoned rocket-ship. "Cid, where do you think Shinra keeps your Highwind now?" the blond asked quietly.

Cid scratched his chin in thought. "Probably in Junon if my baby's not already up in the sky somewhere." The pilot shrugged to himself, getting more irritable as he thought about all the dark shadows of his past. "Ah fuck knows where they keep her Cloud! Shinra have always been first class bastards to me! First they stole all my dreams of space…and then they tried to take away my dreams of the sky! What next? Will they rip off my legs so I can never walk the land again?"

The leader of Avalanche frowned. "_Junon you say_…" Cloud murmured softly. Already the cogs in his head were turning towards a thought that seemed almost too good to be true. Cloud knew his team could reach Junon harbour in less than a day if they used the Buggy to travel across the central continent. The swordsman turned his gaze to the rest of his team, wondering if anyone was thinking the same idea as him.

'_But really__…__ what are the chances of finding Cid__'__s ship in Junon?__'_

Judging from the blond's terrible luck in the past, he knew it was _extremely_ unlikely, if not downright impossible. '_Still__…__this is a thread of hope__……__ a thread I never once believed I could ever find again __…__and whatever I do, I must not lose sight of this thread__………'_

_'But….even if we manage to find Cid's Highwind in Junon……how do I go about stealing a ship without getting caught by the Shinra guard?'_

The Ex-SOLDIER had absolutely no idea. The only thing Cloud knew that if his team indeed got caught, then it would be game over for not only Avalanche, but for the entire Planet as well.

"……."

However, despite the obvious holes in the blond's newly thought out plan, travelling to Junon seemed to be the best and _only_ choice of action if Avalanche wanted to reach the Northern Continent before the doomed fall of Meteor.

'_And even if Cid__'__s Highwind is not in Junon, we might find another substitute ship there that we can use instead.....__'_

"Alright everyone," Cloud called out softly, as five pair of eyes turned to look at him. The leader of Avalanche had came to a decision. "Lets head back to our Buggy. Our next stop will be Junon Harbour. If Cid's ship is still docked at the Shinra airport, we can steal it back and use it to reach the Northern Continent in less time than it would take to cross the ocean using the Tiny Bronco."

A certain blond pilot stared at Cloud, eyeing the Avalanche leader with a peculiar sheen in his eyes. "Cloud? This isn't a joke, right? Do you mean you're actually gonna help me get my baby back?"

Cloud smiled softly at the older pilot, before nodding softly.

In a flash, the swordsman was nearly barrelled over when Cid suddenly sped across the roon, and threw himself at the young Ex-SOLDIER. "By the Gods, you have no idea how much I love 'you right now Spiky. I knew I could find a good use for you someday!"

The blond swordsman blinked nervously at the blond pilot, before awkwardly removing himself from the older male's disturbingly, tight-gripped embrace. Cloud really did not know what to say to Cid.

Nor did anyone else it seemed.

When Cid realised no-one in Avalanche seemed as eager to move out of Cosmo Inn as he, the pilot realised he had to rectify this mistake immediately. "Hey guys! Didn't you hear what Cloud said? This is a damn rescue mission! I don't care if all you guys are piss-ass-tired from the lack of sleep. You can all find time to rest out on my baby when we save her from those damn Shinra scum. So everyone! Move out! Move Out! Move Out- Out- Outtttttttt!" The pilot hollered loudly, as he violently gestured everyone to the door of their room. His eager cries were followed by a few loyal cheers, as Tifa, Yuffie, Barret and Vincent all began to quickly collect their equipment together, before heading towards the entrance of Cosmo Inn.

Cloud watched his entire team leave their room with a soft expression on his face. Soon mako blue locked onto mature blue, and Cloud felt his lips twitch slightly when he eyed the exuberant grin plastered across the older pilot's face. It was in that moment that Cloud realised Cid had greater leadership material than he could ever hope to possess in a lifetime. Not that this bothered the young Ex-SOLDIER. After all, Cid had found a way for his entire team to reach the _Northern_ Continent before the doomed fall of Meteor…

'_And that is why a thread of hope remains__…'_

The leader of Avalanche waited for the last member of his team to leave their booked room, before following them all down the many stairs and out of the Inn.

When the cold night air from outside struck the pale warrior's face, the blond paused for a moment to look up at the calm, starry heavens. Since dawn had not been granted the opportunity to paint a colour on the edges of the dark horizon, the shades of midnight silver dominated the pitch darkness of the heavens, while the moon glimmered a mysterious trail towards the direction of the North. The blond frowned. It seemed the sky was telling him about a mystery to the North. It was just unfortunate that the blond did not possess the ability to read the secret that was written across the pale whiteness of the moon.

The young warrior fisted his hands at his sides.

"............"

Just because he could not read the signs, that did not mean he was going to fight against his instincts any longer.

'…_The North..__'_

'…_..I will go to the North to find __Him.__'_

'…_But..__'_

' _Even if I do find __Him__?__'_

'_Will I be strong enough to defeat __Him_…?'

'…_I wasn__'__t strong enough to defeat __Him__ in the Temple of the Ancients__…'_

'…_But__…__if I fail now__…__. then-__'_

The swordsman did not want to finish his last thought, for if he did…Cloud would envision the most ultimate of failures. Cloud knew that if he did not defeat Sephiroth…then the Planet would lose all hope in her survival…Meteor would fall down upon them all, and everyone who once bore a semblance of life on Gaia, would be no more. It was for this reason alone that Cloud knew he had to keep on fighting for life. And as the young warrior eyed the members of his party, the blond soon realised that a certain one eyed beast was missing from his group.

"Everyone!" Cloud called out softly, bringing his entire party to a halt. "I'm gonna head back to the observatory and see whether Red wants to join us for this venture or not. I shouldn't take too long, so everyone, continue making your way to the Buggy…"

The Avalanche members closest to Cloud nodded reassuringly at him, and everyone watched as their blond haired leader ran past the flickering Cosmo flame, to head straight towards his next destination; Bugenhagen's home.

o0o0o0o

Icicle Inn: 9pm

o0o0o0o

When the leather clad trio finally reached the outskirts of Icicle Inn, Aeris could not have felt any more relieved. Although it was no longer snowing, the sky had been getting progressively darker, and it did not help matters how Kadaj had long since ran out of food rations. To the brunette's utmost embarrassment, her hungry stomach kept on sporadically whining for food, and she felt humiliated each and every time a certain young teen felt the need to apologise to her, expressing to anyone and everyone in a ten mile radius that he was '_such an unworthy son for allowing his dear and very much beloved Mother to __starve__!_' While Aeris was grateful the teen was kind enough to worry about the state of her welfare, that did not mean she enjoyed seeing Kadaj drop down to his knees in the snow, begging for her divine forgiveness over matters that were never even his fault to begin with!

"…….."

In Aeris' peripheral vision, the flowergirl noticed an elderly couple on the other side of the street, whispering and pointing in her direction about immature youths of today. The brunette mentally prayed to the planet to grant her much needed strength, and for the _umpteenth_ time that day, Aeris tugged the pale youth up from the snow, and back onto his feet.

"But I'm really, _really_ sorry Mother," Kadaj whimpered weakly, as he stared pathetically at the ground. The teen looked genuinely upset with himself. Aeris could tell by the shy quaver of his voice, and the watery shimmer in his eyes. It bothered the flower girl to see the young warrior so unnecessarily tearful, especially since pain and sadness did not take to his features at all. Kadaj had a face made for smiling and laughing, so to see him so depressed and down, just seemed….._wrong_.

"You don't need to apologise to me Kadaj, you have done nothing wrong," the brunette reassured the youth tiredly, knowing she had said the same words to him at least _fifteen_ times today.

But just like the last fifteen times, the young warrior brushed off the brunette's gentle words, and instead focussed on the depths of his own, _imaginary_ guilt. "B-b-but _Mother_!" the teen countered anxiously, as he forked his brows together in genuine concern. "You've been travelling all day, and you've barely had time to rest! You shouldn't need to push your body like this Mother, especially when you haven't eaten anything since this morning! _Oh_ _Mother_, please, _please_ forgive me! I have been so idle to your needs. A true son would have given you food and found you a comfortable place to rest _hours_ ago. _Oh_ _Mother_, please allow me to redeem myself by carrying you in my arms to the closest Inn and-"

"_Kadaj_," Yazoo interrupted calmly from behind the pair, just as his younger sibling seemed ready to crash back down to his knees in shame. '_If I hear him say __'__Oh Mother__'__ one more time__…'_

"If you continue to babble on like a moron, I will cast a _silence_ spell on you."

Violent eyes gleamed angrily at the older male, but the gunman could care less about his sibling's rising temper. The teen sharpened his glare at his Brother, but the look quickly dissipated, and his face immediately softened, when his narrowed eyes met the soft green gaze of a certain gentle flower-girl.

"_Oh Mother_, I'm sorry for glaring at you like that. That look wasn't meant for you, it was actually meant for Yazoo." the teen apologised softly, causing a certain gunman to huff behind the flower girl. "If there is anything I can do to make up for Yazoo's unnecessary bastardness then-"

Kadaj was suddenly startled into silence when the flower-girl abruptly turned her gaze from him the youth, to exhale a soft, and yet very troubled sigh.

"_Mother_?" Kadaj asked hesitantly, worry evident in the shy tremor of his voice.

'_Hn,__' _Yazoo mused to himself. _'__Judging from the pair__'__s body language with each other, it appears Kadaj has finally pushed Aeris to her limit__…__.. Hn. This should be interesting.__'_

When silence continued to dominate the air around the motionless trio, Kadaj felt his heart leap upwards and into his throat. But before the teen could open his mouth to reel off a language of heartfelt apologies, the young flower-girl turned her gaze downwards, to gently grasp the warrior's left hand with her right.

"It's alright Kadaj," Aeris answered quietly, slowly raising her head, to eye the long and icy path that awaited them all. "Lets go."

"?" Yazoo frowned from behind his group. _'__Hn? Aeris isn__'__t angry at Kadaj? How strange.__'_

It seemed Kadaj was having the same thoughts as his Brother. But unlike Yazoo, whose thoughts and feelings were always concealed inside a mask of stoic calmness, Kadaj's emotions were now displayed for all to see. "But _Mother_…are you sure I haven't done anything to upset you?"

The brunette paused for a moment, before exhaling a steady breath and shaking her head.

"No Kadaj."

The youth felt his cheeks warm shyly when Aeris threaded her gloved fingers through his long, pale digits. Kadaj, finally realising he had not in fact displeased his Mother, allowed his heart to regulate back to a natural staccato of rhythm. "Let's go Kadaj," the tired demi- Cetra repeated tiredly, gently tugging the youth's hand to gesture him forward.

"As you wish Mother," Kadaj agreed softly.

Grinning widely in childish delight, the young teen started forward, but not before his eyes caught the movement of his elder Brotherr, moving his right arm out towards Aeris, presumably to take a hold of her left hand, just like Kadaj was holding her right.

"!"

The swordsman's eyes flashed with dark fury.

And when mako green met mako green, no words were spoken, but Kadaj's message to Yazoo was made perfectly clear.

0o0

'_Don__'__t even think about touching her Big Brother!__'_

_0o0  
_

And so, with a zealous and very spiteful gleam in his eye, Kadaj, whilst keeping a hold of his Mother's right hand, lunged in front of her, to violently snatch her left hand in his right.

0o0

'_For Mother is MINE!__'_

_0o0  
_

Since Kadaj was too caught up in his Brother's glare contest, he did not notice the way Aeris jumped at the youth in surprise.

'_Hahaha!__'_

Kadaj watched in devilish amusement as Yazoo's outstretched fingers faltered in the cold air for but a moment, before withdrawing limply back to his side.

'_Victory is sooo sweet,__' _Kadaj thought gleefully, as he watched Yazoo raise a pale brow at him, before taking a cautious step away from the female in their group.

0o0

'_See Brother_

_You now know that Mother is mine!_

_Only Mine!_

_Not yours Yazoo. __Never__ yours!_

_So don__'__t even think about sharing her with me._

_For only I am worthy of feeling her love._

_Not you Yazoo. Never you!__'_

_0o0_

All the while, Aeris who had remained oblivious to the pale sibling's strange rivalry with each other, decided to voice her confusion as to why Kadaj was currently holding both her hands possessively to his chest.

"Um…Kadaj? What in the Planet's name are you doing?"

When the teen heard _her_ voice, the youth immediately broke his heated glare from his older Brother, to turn his attention on the very confused brunette who was standing before him. At the sight of their united hands, Kadaj felt his heart begin to pound with a nervous excitement. Easily falling back into the role of the kind and loving son, Kadaj blushed warmly at the woman who managed to complete him in every way, and before Aeris had a chance to open her mouth, the silver haired youth began to slowly glide across the icy path, gently pulling the brunette along with him in tow.

_0o0_

"………."

At the sight of the flower-girl and his Brother moving on _without_ him, the gunman tightened his grip on his Kadaj's inventory bag and silently followed the happy pair from behind.

'_Irritating.__'_

The pale warrior thought distantly.

'_So irritating__…__.__'_

'………_.__'_

Of course the gunman did not wish to give a name to what he found most _irritating_.

'_So slow__…__.__'_

'_Why do they seek to irritate me by moving so slow?__'_

"…………"

As Yazoo was a fighter who delighted in the swiftness of speed, whenever he was forced to move at an unhealthily slow pace, it could only serve to irritate him. It certainly did not help matters how the _slower_ Yazoo walked, the more his mind would helplessly wander into thoughts that were more than a little _disconcerting_, especially for a warrior of his disciplined nature.

'_Like now__…'_

As the pale gunman moved behind the happy pair, his mako eyes narrowed onto the hypnotic distraction of _her_ long hair, shifting in time with her smooth, shuffling strides… and then his gaze moved even lower, to where _her_ dark hair ended, and something of a greater distraction began.

'!'

Realising what his wandering gaze had now settled upon, Yazoo quickly withdrew his eyes from the flower-girl's rear, to instead focus on something a lot less distracting, like the rough scuffs on his dark leather boots. But Yazoo soon realised that his scuffed boots could only capture his apathetic interest for so long.

"…….."

And it wasn't long before his bored mako eyes gave up on the sight of his, dull dark boots.

And moved back onto _Her_.…

'_Aeris__…__.__'_

'You know t_his is all your fault__…__._

_Because you foolishly allowed me to live_

_Instead of die__…__._

……_now all I can think about is death_

…_Your__ death__…_

_by my hand__…'  
_

"………."

'_But what I don__'__t understand is.... why__…__?_

_Why should the thought of your death even bother me? _

_You are so abhorrently __weak__…_

_Even now, I can sense that you are tired from walking, _

_Even though we have been travelling for __less__ than a day__…_

_And your sense of balance on this ice is nothing short of abysmal__…'_

"……_..__…"  
_

'_Is there anything you can do well Aeris?_

_Now that I think about it,_

_I don__'__t think I have ever seen you fight in the field. _

_No wait__…__I do remember one fight__…_

_A __snowball__ fight to be precise.__'_

And from that single memory, the pale warrior felt his poker-calm expression began to crack. Before the gunman realised what was happening, he felt the beginnings of a small smile trying to tug at the corners of his mouth.

"………."

'_Ugh. This is absurd,_' the gunman thought irritably to himself, as he forced himself not to smile. Yazoo knew he was a man who aspired for ultimate perfection, whether with the blade, or with the gun…

'_But with her__…__..._'

Again, Yazoo felt his mouth trying to tug upwards into a genuine smile. It was in that moment that Yazoo realised something most _disconcerting about himself. _It seemed the brunette's never-ending list of weaknesses actually _amused_ the _severe_ perfectionist in him, _so_ _much_ _more_ than they actually repulsed him.

_'But why?'_

_'How-?'_

'_How could I find any amusement in someone who is as ridiculously weak as her?__'_

As the pale warrior sought out an answer to his own mental confliction, Yazoo continued to observe the moving pair in front of him. It was clear that Kadaj had said something amusing to the brunette, for all of a sudden, the female tilted her head back and began to laugh,with all the warmth and gentleness of a woman _not_ condemned to death. '?' At the sound of the flower-girl's mirthful joy, the gunman felt his smile fade away, to be replaced with an expression that seemed much more characteristic for his face: _calm_ _consternation_.

'_Aeris__…__._

_Your actions truly perplex me._

_How can you laugh so freely, when you walk so near a man_

_who will soon take your-__…'_

_0o0_

Without warning, the gunman's eyes narrowed at the sight of an imminent danger. The woman who had been dominating his thoughts suddenly slipped on a thick slab of black ice. Instinctively, the pale gunman shot his hand out in an attempt to correct the flower girl's balance, before retracting his arm back just as quickly when he realised Kadaj had been there all along to prevent the clumsy fool from falling.

"………"

Yazoo frowned, and silently watched as his little Brother fussed and worried over the weak female in his arms.

0o0

'I_f this is how you intend to travel with me Aeris, _

_you will end up killing yourself_

_long before I even get a chance to__…'_

0o0

The warped thought did not grant the gunman any joy, nor did it deliver any peace to his darkening mind, especially when the female damning his thoughts had the audacity to turn her head and deliver him a slightly embarrassed smile. The pale warrior glared back at Aeris, before striding ahead of his group, focusing all his attention on the vacated streets before him, so he could leave his younger Brother to deal with the female's irritating foolishness all by himself!

_0o0_

'_For this is indeed __foolishness__. _

_After all, did I not promise to kill you Aeris?_

_So then why__…__?_

_Why just now__…__? Why did I try to protect you?_

_I have not forgotten the truth of what you are to me Aeris._

_And you know, I am not as ignorant to your will as Kadaj._

_I know you see yourself as a means to an end._

_As your death will ultimately reassure me of life.__'_

_0o0_

"_AGHH_!" The brunette cried out suddenly.

"_MOTHER!__" _Kadaj hollered out soon after.

0o0

"………."

The gunman's eyes narrowed minutely, forcing himself not to turn around and see newstupidity was happening behind him. Without even seeing what had happened, Yazoo assumed the flower girl had somehow slipped on the ice, and not even his Brother's unparalled agility could save the girl from her own clumsy foolishness. The warrior's thoughts were soon confirmed when he caught the reflection of _Her _through a closed store window, sprawled out across the icy, cobbled ground.

"Oh Mother! I'm so sorry!

I grabbed your arms but you kept on falling!

Are you alright!? You're not hurt are you?

I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if you were hurt!"

The pale warrior gritted his teeth, trying not to listen to his sibling's irritating apologies to the demi Cetra. "Aeris, why do you have to be so irritatingly _pathetic_…?" the gunman muttered at _her_ reflection, watching the way his Brother helped _her_ up from the ground, apologising to her all the while.

The gunman frowned. '_This is ridiculous.__'_

In all of his life, Yazoo had never came across anyone as stupidly _weak_ as her.

"………"

'_If Kadaj or I were indeed foolish enough to fall over,_

_we would merely bruise our ego not our bodies. _

_But with you Aeris__…_

_You are the kind of fool that if you were to fall again,_

_Y__ou__'__d most likely end up shattering your skull.__'_

And with that thought, the gunman's mouth thinned, and his fingers tensed uncomfortably.

"………"

The gunman knew he had to stop thinking about _Her_. It was now more than ever that Yazoo wished for the speed of his motorcycle to steal his damnable thoughts of _her_ away. For being on foot like he was now, Yazoo realised all his thoughts of _her_…..and what _she_ was to him…to Kadaj…, and even to this worthless Planet…were the only things he could seem to focus on.

"………"

When the gunman caught himself walking past another closed store window, in an unconscious attempt to search for _her_ reflection across the pale glass, the warrior mentally cursed to himself, and forced himself to stare down at his boots. But Yazoo soon realised that even when he wasn't looking at _her_, he could still _listen_ to the sound of _her_ slow shuffling footsteps, and _her_ loud and rapid breaths; breaths that sounded not unlike the gasping breaths of a frightened little rabbit panting out its final moments of life, before a large and hungry wolf emerged from the darkness to tear a wide, bloody hole through its furry, little jugular.

_0o0_

'_And so__…__ if I see Aeris as a rabbit__…_

_wouldn__'__t that make me her wolf?_

_I am the wolf who will rip this little rabbit apart_

_with barely a breath of effort._'

0o0

It was only when the pale gunman heard his Brother call out in front of him to '_Hurry the hell up or we__'__re leaving you behind!__'__, _that Yazoo realised that by being too deep in his thoughts, he had not only stopped walking, but even more embarrassingly, despite being in front of his group earlier, he was now falling behind!

'_This is just ridiculous__…'' _

The gunman forced himself to catch up with the leather clad pair that was waiting, far, far in front of him.

Yazoo knew he needed to stop thinking, most especially about _her_, before he did something most foolish, like walk straight into the nearest trashcan. But it seemed even the simplest act of walking became difficult, for when Yazoo looked up from his boots, all he could see was _her_.….was the fascinating vulnerability that was ultimately _Aeris_.

_0o0_

'_But__…'_

'_Why__?__'_

'_Aeris..__'_

'_Why do I allow you to distract me so?__'_

'_If only you had let me die__…_

_It would have been so much easier if you had just let me die__…_

_But now, I have promised to grant you your death__…_

_But__…_

_By claiming your life. _

_Wouldn__'__t that make me__……__?__'_

The gunman looked up, and for the first time, he looked past the distracting perplexity that was ultimately _Her_,and instead focused on the boisterous face of a certain cheeky silver haired teen. The gunman's eyes softened almost imperceptivity. '_Kadaj__…'_. Yazoo sighed quietly. The warrior knew that his younger Brother was the only family he had left, now that Loz was gone. And Yazoo knew that without Kadaj…without his Brother…his life would be…

'_Nothing__…'_

And in that realisation, the gunman felt his heart freeze of all emotion.

And Yazoo almost stumbled mid-step.

Unexpectedly, the face of _Loz_ flickered in and out of the gunman's memory, like the bulb of a broken flashlight, desperately clinging to life before winking out of existence completely. In was in that moment, that Yazoo felt his lungs restrict of air. Suddenly it seemed so difficult to breathe. For before this moment, the reality that Loz was _gone _…_permanently_ _gone _had never once struck the gunman's mind.

'_And the truth only strikes me now__…__._

_for I know that, when all of this is over__…_

_And my promise to __Her__ is finally complete__…__._

_I will soon realise I will not only lost one Brother to this madness__…_

…_but __two__…'_

'_Aeris__…_

_You really have no idea what you have done to me._

_In making me promise to aid you in your sacrifice, _

_You have condemned me to a fate far worse than death.__'_

The gunman's eyes _hardened_ when Aeris had the audacity to slip _yet again_ in front of him, only to be saved by the lightening quick hands of his younger Brother.

"….pitiful," the gunman murmured softly, as he kept on walking slowly behind his team.

'_But then it seems almost fitting__…_

_that someone as weak and pitiful as you _

_could possess the power to wound me so deeply.__'_

The gunman's expressionless eyes became even more apathetic when he observed his younger sibling, spewing out unnecessary loving drivel to the flower-girl he and holding her tightly against his chest. Yazoo frowned at the sight. Hearing his Brother's sugary kindness towards this cursed woman only reminded Yazoo how oblivious Kadaj was to everything around him, most especially, to everything that primarily concerned _her__…_

'_Hn__…__I wonder__…_

_How long will it take_

_before my Brother completely breaks,_

_When he realises the truth of your fate Aeris?__'_

'_Will it take days? Weeks? Months? Years?__'_

'_..__……__.__'_

' _Hmm, perhaps I should instead wonder __…__?_

_How long will it take_

_before __I__ completely break_

_when I lose my only Brother_

_to his madness of losing you__…__?__'_

'_Will it take days? Weeks? Months? Years?__'_

The gunman did not wish to find an answer to his own warped thoughts.

It was now more than ever that Yazoo realised he had to stop thinking about _her_, before he did something most foolish…. like use Velvet Nightmare on himself.

'…_Which is getting rather appealing right now__…' _the warrior mused silently, as he observed the happy pair in front of him, gliding hand in hand across the icy cobbled path.

_0o0_

"So where do you wish to go now Mother? Was it a restaurant for food? Or an Inn to rest?" Kadaj asked bouncily, as he kindly aided the brunette across the very slippery ice. "Oh Mother, you really need to be careful around here," the young warrior warned gently, tightening his pale fingers around the brunette's small wrists. "I know, let's move much slower here, as to prevent the risk of you falling over again, just follow my lead ok." Keeping his hands on the female at all times, Kadaj shuffled backwards even _slower_ than he was moving before, tugging the nervous flower girl along with him, in sync with his steps. "That's it! You are doing great Mother!"

'_If by great Kadaj, you mean she can travel as fast as a incapacitated man crawling in a Zolom infested swamp, with only his broken legs to rely on, then yes__…__ I would most certainly agree Kadaj, she is that great,__'__ a_ certain silver haired gunman thought sourly, trying not to think too much about the happy pair in front of him. Yazoo tried to ignore the innocent glow on his Brother's face, and the way Aeris shyly smiled at him, as they carefully moved together across the slippery ice. The gunman instinctively sought for a comfort away from the duo's nauseating cuteness, by moving his free hand downwards to the gun holster attached to his hip. The moment his gloved fingers caressed the cold, yet reassuring length of Velvet Nightmare, Yazoo felt his mind wander once again into forboding thoughts, which were bereft of all warmth and light.

_0o0_

'_Hn. I wonder__…_

_Will you smile at me Aeris,_

_the same way you smile at my Brother now, _

_when you see me raise Velvet Nightmare to your chest__…__?__'_

'_And then, when you smile at me,_

_will you let me smile right back at you,_

_when you realise the act of your death _

_is the only moment you intend to share with me in life?_'

0o0

The gunman paused mid-step. A cruel and apathetic wind whistled past Yazoo, tousling his long, pale locks high up into the air. But despite the cold weather playing with the ends of his hair, the warrior remained motionless and silent, far too lost in his own thoughts of the dark to even wonder about the calm stillness all around him.

'_My thoughts__…__.why can I not stop thinking about__…'_

It did not matter what the pale warrior tried, for all Yazoo could envision in his mind was _Her_...The sound of _Her_ sweet laughter…. and the movement of _Her_ smiling mouth… and _Her_ lips… those fascinatingly soft lips…which belied a secret desire for the flesh…and _Her_ hands, those impossibly soft hands, which begged to slide down his naked chest, and move across the firm ridges of muscled skin to…

"_!__"_

The pale warrior felt his entire body seize to a halt.

'_What?_

_These are not my thoughts__…_

_Are these__…__.?__'_

And then Yazoo felt a presence….a presence that he knew all too well, searing through the back of his mind, leaving a burning trail of dark and unspeakable emotion in its wave.

'_No!__'_

Yazoo's entire body shuddered and his eyes dilated. His spine flexed backwards, and his hands went straight to his temples, unable to fight the malevolent intruder who was now coursing through all his veins. The gunman gritted his teeth and narrowed his eyes.

'_Not now!__'_

Yazoo could feel _Him_ moving through the rivers of his own consciousness. He knew it was _Him_, It could only be _Him, Sephiroth__…__. _The bastard who had taken over Kadaj's body, just as easily as he had taken over Loz. The gunman's eyes flashed with an alien energy. "!" Realising that Sephiroth was now trying to take over his body, Yazoo tried to warn Kadaj and Aeris of the danger that was now standing behind them. But as soon as a startled cry escaped the gunman's lips, suddenly, all presence of _Him_ _disappeared_, and before the startled gunman realised what had happened, he felt his entire body crash down to his knees, not unlike a broken puppet, who had been cut away from its strings.

Hearing the gunman's startled cry, Kadaj and Aeris both turned around to see the usually graceful gunman kneeling down on the icy, cobbled ground. The brunette gasped in surprise, but a certain young teen smirked at the sight. "Awww, did you slip and hurt yourself Yazoo?" Kadaj chuckled calmly.

The gunman didn't answer the teen. For a moment, the warrior remained motionless and still. But then slowly, he got to his feet, all the while keeping his head downwards, his long pale hair concealing his entire face from view.

The gunman's silence was becoming quite disturbing, and it made a certain demi Cetra worry for the taciturn warrior.

"Yazoo are you alright?" Aeris voiced softly, letting go of Kadaj's hands, to carefully glide her body towards the motionless gunman.

'When the brunette called his name, the gunman raised his head to look at her. But when his eyes met _her_s, a foreign flush of emotion surged through the warrior's chest. In an instant, the gunman dipped his head down, "I'm _fine_," Yazoo all but muttered, refusing to meet the female in the eye again.

'_How can this be?__'_

'_Even though __His__ presence has left my mind.'_

The brunette frowned softly. "Are you sure?" Aeris asked, as she reached out to touch the gunman's arm, concerned for the warrior strange behaviour.

'…_His__…__feelings__…'_

Even through all the barriers of leather, Yazoo felt his body jolt at the slight touch of her fingers on his person, and so he angrily batted the brunette's hand away. "DON'T TOUCH ME!" Yazoo barked out angrily, stepping back a few paces to distance himself from the now very startled female in front of him. When _Her_ green eyes became so downcast, the gunman almost regretted the fierce tone of his voice.

"I-I'm sorry…" Aeris voiced softly, looking up at the pale warrior, shyness and concern glimmering in the green depths of her eyes.

"!"

At the sight of her face, the gunman felt another jolt in his heart, and so he quickly pivoted his body around, trying to rationalise his thoughts…and feelings...of what the hell had just happened! What the hell was happening to him? His heart was beating like a jackhammer. Yazoo just didn't understand was going on. He simply couldn't comprehend….

'_What the-?__'_

'_How can it be?__'_

'_His__ feelings__…'_

'_Why do I feel Sephiroth__'__s feelings inside of me__…__?__'_

'_!__'_

"Yazoo?" Aeris cautiously.

But the gunman dared not to turn around. The last thing he wanted to do was look at her! The gunman inhaled and exhaled slowly trying to ingest the madness. This was insane! How was this even possible? How had Sephiroth filled his mind with thoughts of desire for this woman…? How had he….? Why had he…?

A certain silver haired youth, who had been watching his Brother's discourteous attitude towards his beloved Mother, felt the need to correct the gunman's ill manners in the best way he knew. "Yazoo! How DARE you take that tone with Mother!" Kadaj snarled out angrily, stomping tight in front of his Brother, his eyes bright with anger. "Just because you're clumsy enough to fall on your ass, that does not mean you're allowed to take your anger out on her!" The teen swung back his hand.

*SMACK*

"Kadaj no!" Aeris cried out helplessly.

When a large, red handprint began to glow across the gunman's pale face, the young swordsman began to smile. But the smile soon slipped away as he noticed the glazed look in the gunman's eyes. The teen seethed angrily. "Yazoo! Don't just stand there like a moron! Now do as I say! Turn around and apologise to Mother!"

"Um, that's not necessary Kadaj," The brunette answered hastily as she looked between the two Brothers in front of her, sensing the dark tension in the air. "I'm sure Yazoo didn't expect to fall over like that, and I assume, as a man, his pride has been hurt, that's why he snapped at me. Isn't that right Yazoo?"

"……….."

Yazoo refused to answer, keeping his back to the female all the while.

"Ugh lets leave him Mother," Kadaj said, tugging his Mother's arm to turn her back around, to lead her away from Yazoo. "If my Brother wishes to act like a bastard just because he is embarrassed over his girlish, little tumble, then it's best to leave him Mother."

Even though the gunman had heard his sibling's brattish words, Yazoo remained silent. He did not even rebuke his little Brother's rudeness. The brunette frowned at this worrying realisation, but nevertheless, she let herself be tugged along by the younger silver haired Brother.

_'...Yazoo..'_

Eventually the flower girl heard the reassuring sound of shuffled footsteps moving slowly behind her.

And the brunette sighed with relief.

'_Whew.__'_

'_Yazoo is still following us.__'_

'…_I guess his embarrassed period is over__…'_

The brunette grinned to herself.

And then she turned her head to smile at him.

But the smile soon fled her lips…

For when she stared into Yazoo's eyes…Aeris swore….if only for a split second…that she saw his mako pupils shift ……and become just like _His_! Aeris blinked in surprise, and then _His_ eyes were gone, and all she could see was Yazoo calm orbs, glaring back at her in their usual boorish way.

'_What the_? _Did I just imagine it?_

_Did I just see__…__.?_

_No,_

_I__'__m sure I didn__'__t._

_It__'__s just my tiredness playing mental tricks on me.__'_

Aeris had little time to worry about what she may had or not just seen in the gunman's eyes, for a certain silver haired youth was now tugging her arm, trying to grab her attention about a large building that was less than ten paces away in front of them, decorated with hundreds of silvery-blue lights.

"Mother, what do you think this place is?"

The brunette blinked, and looked up, and then her eyes went large at the large sign, positioned high above the door.

'_Shivas_?'

0o0

Yazoo sighed with relief.

'_I must be going mad__…'_

The moment Aeris turned around to look at him, the gunman was expecting to be burned by the primal fire of _His_ thoughts coursing through his veins. But when his eyes met _hers_…he was surprised to feel nothing.

Nothing but his own thoughts and feelings.

Realising the flower girl was still staring at him, the gunman glared at her and eventually watched the female as she turned her gaze away to focus her attention on the words of his younger sibling.

"............."

The gunman felt troubled.

His lack of a reaction to _her_, now created more questions.

'_?__'_

'_What the hell has just happened __……__?__'_

'…_Just now__…_

_I swear I felt Sephiroth moving inside of my mind..._

_But why...?_

'_Why the hell was he in my head?__'_

'_Audacious bastard,__'_the gunman cursed, clenching his hands into fists. Yazoo knew he had never met Sephiroth before, But then, anyone who believed they had the right to rape another person's mind was _not_ a person Yazoo wantedto meet, _ever_.

_0o0_

'_Someone tell me, what the hell is going on!__'_

'_Sephiroth was in my head!__'_

'_Was he trying to take me over?__'_

'_Like he did to Loz?__'_

'_But if he was__…_

_They why didn__'__t he?_

_Why am I still me?__'_

'_This doesn__'__t make any sense at all__…'_

'_I__'__m getting a headache from even thinking about __Him__.__'_

'_Maybe I__'__m just tired__…'_

'_And everything that has happened was just a figment of my imagination_

_For there is no way Sephiroth would just enter my head and leave like that_

_Not without killing me first._

_Or making me kill Kadaj__…'_

0o0

"Hmm, Yazoo, what kind of place do you think this?"

Broken out of his disturbing thoughts, the gunman blinked, his mind returning back to the real world around him. The gunman stared at Aeris who was now smiling softly at him from beside his younger sibling. Again, the warrior was relieved to know that his heartbeat did not stutter when she gazed into his eyes. '_Hmm__…__Maybe this madness of sensing __Him__ really was a figment of my overactive imagination. Hn, it wouldn't shock me if Aeris has a secret ability to make a man lose their mind by just thinking about her.__'_

"So what do you think?" The flower girl asked the gunman curiously, causing the pale warrior to furrow his brows at her.

"On what?" Yazoo asked calmly, watching the brunette point her hand to the same building that had caught his Brother's attention. And so Yazoo tilted his head upwards, to eye the large, blue snowflake symbol positioned above the door of the building, followed by the word '_Shiva_'_s_' in a rich and noticeable white font. Judging from the structure and architecture of the building, and the sound emanating from within Yazoo assumed _Shiva__'__s_ to be some kind of bar or restaurant, and judging from the brunette's wide eyed expression….

"Our next destination…." he answered quietly.

Aeris grinned at him, but the gunman could not muster a smile, even if he wanted to. He felt troubled.

"……….."

Repositioning Kadaj's bag over his shoulder, the gunman did not have to wait long before he silently followed Kadaj and the flower-girl inside the restaurant known as '_Shiva__'__s_'.

0o0

_**Whew. I'm going to leave the chapter here. I was planning to put the restaurant scene in this chapter but I think I have made you guys wait for CH3 long enough. Hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Hopefully I will have the next chapter up ASAP, since its moreorless written x Just need to edit and check for grammar mistakes. **_

_**But yus....Something is wrong with Yazoo....Why was Seph even in his head? What is our evil OWA up to? **_

**_Well to find out, you will simply have to keep on reading xx_**

**_I promise to get CH4 out a little faster than this one. Ugh...4 mths.. ( I just pray my eyes wont fail me) Anywho stayed tuned guys for CH4, and d_**_**on't forget to review! x x**_

_**Aerseph4eva**_


	4. I Don't Love You

**To Love an Ancient 3: The Last Seven Days: An Aeris and Sephiroth Finale.**

**Words 15054**

**Pages 46**

**Chapter 4: I Don't Love You**

**Disclaimer**

**Nope, I don't own Final Fantasy 7...but I sometimes adopt their kawaii bishonens! (most specifically the silvered haired kind.)**

**Author's Notes**

**Hey guys! *Aer-seph4eva waves happily to you all* Thank you for all your kind reviews for the last chapter. Anywho I****'****m not gonna waste any more of your time with my rambled words of conscious thought, for this is gonna be one uber long K/A/Y chapter.**

**Musical Muses for Today**

_**Spirited Away: Dragon Boy (My favourite Kadaj muse song)**_

_**One Summer**__**'**__**s Day (love the piano version of this song. So calming)**_

_**Within Temptation: Pale**_

_**Posthumus : Pompeii and Lepcis Magna**_

_**Freddy Mercury/Queen : Who wants to live forever?**_

_**Two Steps From Hell: Transfiguration **_

_**The Fountain: First Snow**_

_**Lost Odyssey: Eclipse of Time**_

_**Naruto: Man of the World**_

_**Senya (Itachi**__**'**__**s theme)**_

_**Xenosaga Episode 1 - Ormus**_

_**Final Fantasy Vocal Collection II: God**__**'**__**s Cradle**_

**Warnings for this chapter**

*** ****'****Lil bit of taboo language, hints of innuendo, not to mention stupid amounts of ****angst**** courtesy of a certain demi-Cetra. **

*** Oh and Kadaj will be pushing the boundaries of his Mother/Son relationship with Aeris, so if you are creeped out by K/A themes, I highly recommend clicking the back button right about ****now.**** x**

**Anywho….now that my ramblings are out of the way…**

**On with the fic!**

0o0

_**Icicle Inn: Shivas' Entrance Hall**_

The moment the leather-clad trio stepped into Shivas, Aeris felt a soothing warmth eclipse her entire body. '_Ah! Bliss_…!' After trudging across the arctic terrains of the Northern Continent, the demi-Cetra was grateful to feel even the smallest respite of heat. Stamping off the excess snow from her small, booted feet, Aeris' wide green orbs scanned the winter themed walls, the blue printed carpet below her feet, and finally, the large front desk on the far eastern wall. When her eyes caught the sight of a female waitress, standing on the other side of the desk, Aeris eagerly crossed the carpet, with Yazoo and Kadaj following her silently in tow.

Finally, when the leather-clad trio reached the end of the carpet, Aeris greeted the lone blonde waitress at the desk with a soft, courteous smile. "Hi there."

"Oh hello there," the waitress greeted automatically, too busy penning a short memo in her notepad to take proper notice of the flower-girl standing before her. "Have you got a booking with us miss-?"

The brunette kindly shook her head. "Erm no, we haven't… is that a problem?"

From the flower girl's innocent question, dark indigo eyes, caked with heavy black eye-shadow, and very thick mascara, calmly gazed up from the desk, to eye the strange trio of customers.

And then the waitress stared...

And _stared_...

"!"

To Rio, it was immediately clear that the leather dressed trio were _not_ regulars from town.

'_Whoa!' _theblonde mentally gasped, unable to keep her eyes off a certain silver haired gunman, who by her visual accounts, had the most killer lashes she had ever seen on a male. '_And_ _his_ _eyes!_ _**O.M.G!**__You know what Rio, I sooo don't care if this guy has fake eyes and lashes, for he is __**H.O.T**__!' _

"Um…So is it a problem?" Aeris repeated politely, confused when the blonde made no attempt to answer her. In fact, the flower girl soon realised that the waitress had no intention in answering her, for she was too busy looking at…_Yazoo_?

Aeris smiled to herself then, as she noticed how Yazoo seemed completely oblivious to the waitress eyeing his person. Instead, the warrior's attention was drawn towards the decorative surroundings around them, or more specifically, a life-sized stone rendition of the ice goddess Shiva, whose half-naked figure glimmered with an exceptional beauty incomparable to no living being on Gaia.

'_Oh wow!'_ The flower maiden thought in awe, as she eyed the very curvaceous piece of classic art. Sliding her gaze towards her left hand side, Aeris expected a certain silver haired youth to be equally transfixed by the ethereal piece of art, just like his elder Brother. However, when soft green orbs met wide mint eyes, the flower girl soon realised that Kadaj had not taken the time to notice the beautiful statue….for he was too busy…ogling her….?

'_Erm... O…k?'_

Mentally shaking her head at the puzzling weirdness that was innately Kadaj, Aeris smiled briefly at the creepily adorable youth, before returning her gaze back to the goggle-eyed waitress, who Aeris noticed quite amusedly, was still ogling Yazoo.

"Ahem!" Aeris coughed weakly, trying to catch the blonde's attention to no avail.

"_AHEM_!"

This time, large indigo eyes snapped towards the brunette's direction.

"So is it a problem?" The flower girl repeated for a third and final time.

"_Huh_? A problem?" Rio blinked slowly, as her brain slowly tried to register what the brunette had just asked her. "No-no! It's not a problem!" The waitress answered quickly, just before indigo orbs caught the slight glimmer of calm, mako green gazing her way.

'_!_

_**Oh**__. __**My**__. __**Gawd Rio**__!_

_The uber rapable SEX GOD is staring right at me!_

_Gawds, I hope my hair and makeup look alright.'_

When the flower girl coughed again, Yazoo withdrew his silent gaze from the blonde waitress, and turned his bored attention towards the demi-Cetra at his side, sending her a look as if to say _'I have seen enough, can we go now?' _But the flower girl smiled gently back at him. '_No_,' her eyes glittered warmly. '_Humph_,' Yazoo frowned lightly, causing the brunette's smile to widen even more, and the gunman's consternation to grow even further.

All the while, the blond waitress who had been watching the brunette's silent interactions with the longhaired beauty, allowed her dark eyes to narrow ever so slightly.

'_What the-?_

' _How in Gaia's name can this boring, young slip of a girl _

_Catch the attention of such a handsome, silver haired hotty!_

_Ugh… It's not as if this silly twit has anything worth staring at…_

_And look at her figure…_

_Stupid, little miss, triple A cup size._

_No man in his right mind would be attracted to a chest that flat._

_Grrr…'_

Despite the blonde's unhealthy jealousy for a certain green-eyed flower girl, Rio nevertheless smiled professionally at her female customer, even if said smile did little to conceal the malicious glare of envy currently bleeding through her dark indigo eyes. "Oh by the way Miss-" Rio began in a pseudo-nice tone, drawing the brunette's attention from the silver haired hotty, and back towards her person. "-as your group is not on tonight's booking list, I'm afraid you'll all have to wait twenty minutes before I can get a free table arranged for you in the dining hall. So until then, is it alright if you three wait in the bar?" the blonde finished professionally, trying desperately not to ogle a certain long, silver haired hotty, and failing; rather _badly_.

The brunette shook her head with a kind and pleasant smile. "No, that will be fine," Aeris replied sweetly, watching as the waitress paused for a moment to pick up a menu from the entrance counter, before guiding Aeris and her leather clad group down the sapphire blue carpet. She moved them past the life-sized Shiva statue, through a set of silvery double doors, and into large, dimly lit room, full of loud exotic music and never-ending chatter.

'_Oh my!' _

The brunette gasped at the sight of the new room, while her wide green eyes snapped about in visible wonder. On the right side of the room, Aeris eyed the small cluster of tables positioned near the long and very elegant wine counter. But it was not the wine counter, nor the occupied tables, which attracted the demi-Cetra's now very wide-eyed attention. No, it was instead the left side of the room, or more precisely, a large blue curtained stage, where an extremely beautiful female was dancing to a large audience of howling fans. Fans, whose cries only grew louder in excitement as the blue painted female gyrated her hips, and sashayed across the floor with inhuman grace, almost as if possessed by the goddess of ice and beauty herself. (1)

'_Oh_ _wow_!'

The brunette was broken out of her mild reverie when Rio suddenly stopped her group at a small square table. "So here you go then. Table for three."

Kadaj in an instant rushed towards the offered table, and kindly pulled out a chair for his Mother to sit on. Aeris smiled and thanked the sweet teen, before settling herself down in the offered chair, watching in idle amusement as Kadaj hastily removed his sheathed Souba, carelessly thunking the dual-blade somewhere beneath the table, before scrambling into the nearest seat _right_ next to his beloved Mother.

'_For there__'__s no chance in Ifrit__'__s hell that I__'__m letting Yazoo sit closer to Mother than I!__'_the teen thought zealously, as he eyed his elder sibling, whose attention was oddly trapped on the half naked beauty on stage._'__Humph,' _Kadaj mentally snorted to himself._ 'Just keep your eyes on that worthless piece of trash Big Brother, for Mother is mine! Not yours Yazoo, __**never**__ yours!__'_

When the blue-skinned dancer sashayed off stage to the sound of loud applause, the music in the air gently shifted into the quiet intermission of a lone piano. It was only then that Yazoo realised he was the only one left standing in his group. "…." Silently making his way around the small square table, Yazoo carelessly dropped Kadaj's inventory bag on the spare seat opposite Aeris, before gracefully sitting down and reclining back in the remaining seat opposite his younger Brother.

Now that the gunman was seated, and his attention no longer distracted by the half-naked female on stage, Yazoo was surprised to sense a foreign gaze on his person. A gaze that seemed to be coming neither from his Brother, nor from the annoying brunette at his side.

'_Hn_?'

Mildly curious to find the source of this unknown gaze, the gunman's mako eyes peered up from long dark lashes, to unexpectedly meet the wide, indigo orbs of a strange, salivating waitress.

'_Salivating?__'_

The gunman blinked sharply in surprise.

'_What the-? Why is she-?__'_

It did not take long for the mentally astute warrior to realise why, for when Yazoo artfully ran a gloved hand through his long, silvery bangs, the female idiot quite literally shuddered on her feet, almost dropping her pen and pad to the floor in the process.

'…'

'_Hn, so that__'__s why…__'_

It took nearly every ounce of effort from the pale gunman's part not to roll his eyes at the silly blonde twit beside him. So instead, Yazoo calmly narrowed his gaze at the blonde stranger with a look of bored antipathy.

'_Hn. How lovely…._

_Here is an example of a weak, foolish tart who thinks she has the right to stare at my person, and fantasise about me naked in her bed tonight.…_

_Hn… I wonder…..?_

_Are all human women such disgusting creatures like her?__'_

_Humph…probably... _

_No wonder I see females as all beneath me…._

_And certainly __not__ beneath me in the way they wish…__'_

Completely oblivious to the gunman's growing disgust towards her person, the curvy blonde sweetly blushed at the sight of the very handsome customer, totally in awe of his green starlight eyes. Realising she had yet to give the hot stranger a menu, Rio rectified her error immediately by thrusting an ivory coloured card into one of the gunman's open hands. Wringing her hands nervously, the waitress asked the handsome male what drink he would like to order.

"…." Yazoo frowned down at the menu in his hand. But the expression soon shifted into a deeper level of animosity when he felt a certain blonde begin to invade his personal space.

"Oh! Just letting you know that since it's Friday Sir, we have a special two for one deal on all mixed spirits-" Rio explained in a deep sultry tone, as she leant ever closer to the stoic warrior before her. "And as you can see here-" Rio pointed a finger towards the drinks promotion on the menu. "-you can choose anything from the blue and red list below, but we also have this fantastic deal in our yellow menu which allows you to-"

Yazoo stopped listening.

His body froze the moment he felt '_**it**_'.

0o0

'…_This woman…?_

_Why can I feel this woman__'__s breasts_

_jutting into the back of my right shoulder?__'_

'_!'_

'_Does this human female think she can seduce me_

_With such pathetic charms of the flesh?__'_

0o0

Instinctively, the pale gunman trailed a free hand under the table, his long fingers already edging towards his most trusted Velvet Nightmare.

0o0

'_Hn…or maybe…_

_She just really wants to die…__'_

_0o0_

"Ooh. I'm sorry sir. Do you need more time to decide?" Rio blushed sweetly, as she finally drew herself away from the very stoic gunman. The blonde noticed that immediately on doing so, Yazoo uneasily turned his head away from her, deliberately hiding his facial features within the pale sheath of his bangs.

Rio mentally pouted. '_Oh poo! Way to go Rio, it seems like you__'__ve caught a really, really shy one_…_'_ the blonde mentally sighed to herself, before sliding a stray lock of yellow tinted hair behind her ear. '_*Sighs*. Guess I should try again later…'_

And so the blonde turned her attention from Yazoo, to eye the other side of the table. Unsurprisingly, it only took Rio less than three seconds before she realised there was another _abnormally_ gorgeous male seated right in front of her.

'_WOW Another First Class Hotty_!'

Although Rio could tell that this guy was obviously younger than the taller, longhaired male that did not make the youth any less attractive.

'_And by the Gawds….HIS eyes! They both have the same eyes!__'_

The waitress felt her cheeks burn hotly, as she looked between the two silver haired hotties, unable to decide who was the more attractive male out of the two.

'_Hmmm, the one with short hair is a definite looker, but mmm the other one… I could so rape him in a heartbeat!__'_

Eventually, Rio turned her attention from the silver haired duo, to target her gaze on the only non-silver haired member at the table…and then the waitress mentally frowned. _'__And this is what I sooo don__'__t get…Why would these uber hot model hunks hang around with such a dull looking woman? Despite her weird black clothes, there really isn__'__t much going for her. Hell, even my Great-Grandmother wears more makeup than her….__'_Rio mused to herself, but nevertheless managed to plaster a wide _fake_ smile on her face when the brunette in question turned large green eyes onto her.

"So Miss, what drink would you like to order?" Rio asked Aeris in a tone, which spoke much more of jealousy than it did of pleasantry. Fortunately, for the waitress, Aeris was much too tired to catch the malicious streak of envy, which was currently bleeding across the blonde's dark eyed vision, although the blonde's look of foul jealousy was not lost on a certain silver haired gunman.

"Um…"

Green eyes flickered towards the back of the menu that was still open in Yazoo's hand.

"!"

Aeris tried not to visibly flinch at the extraordinarily high prices printed against every item she could see. The brunette mentally frowned and worried her lower lip. Since the demi-Cetra had no idea how much money Kadaj had on his person, she was reluctant to make a single order until she was sure the young teen had enough gil to pay for at least one decent meal between the three of them, and hopefully, for a place to rest tonight as well. "Ummm …can you give me a little more time to decide?" Aeris asked Rio feebly.

Rio nodded dismissively, for her indigo orbs were now fondly latched on a certain silver haired teen, whose attention seemed disturbingly fixated on the unappealing brunette seated right beside him. _'__And again I wonder, why in Shiva's name would these uber sexy hotties hang around with such a dull and scrawny looking woman?_'

Coughing to grab the pale youth's attention, Rio asked the attractive swordsman as sweetly as she could. "Do you know what drink you would like to order young sir?"

"?" Kadaj blinked and looked up at the blond haired female, visibly confused and a smidgeon annoyed that he had been forced to turn his attention away from his beloved Mother. "Like…to order?" Kadaj repeated slowly. The pale youth tilted his head in thought, the simple action causing his long, glossy locks to slide across his vision in a sweet, gentle caress. "Mmm…" Kadaj bit his soft lips for a short puzzling moment, before inevitably turning his soft mako eyes back towards the flower girl seated beside him. "Mmm, I'll just wait until Mother knows what she wants, and then I'll have the same as her," the teen answered with a careless shrug, leaning across the table, to snatch the drinks menu out of his Brother's hand. "Oh here you go Mother, order whatever you so desire," Kadaj announced quite cheerfully.

The teen's eyes crinkled with genuine warmth when the brunette kindly accepted the small card from him with a soft and gentle smile. "Thanks Kadaj."

"You're welcome Mother."

0o0

'_Mother? What the-?_'

0o0

The blonde waitress tried not to reveal her surprise at the youth's very strange words. Rio looked between the brunette and the young silver haired teen, seeing no similarities nor familial connections within their facial features at all. Also, judging from appearance alone, the brunette looked like she had reached her early twenties at most, and the teen looked no older than seventeen at the oldest, and fourteen at the youngest.

'_Eh__?_'

Sensing the waitress's apparent confusion, the demi-Cetra blushed slightly and shyly waived off Kadaj's answer with a short and nervous laugh. "Oh, don't mind him, he just likes calling me Mother," Aeris explained weakly, while the young teen in question bobbed his head up and down in mutual agreement.

"Erm…ok?" Rio drawled out slowly. It seemed the brunette's simple answer increased her confusion by at least ten fold. "Um anyways… just to remind you guys, your table in the dining quarter should be ready in about fifteen minutes. I will come to collect you when it's ready. But if you need anything before then, such as drinks from the bar, or any of our listed hors d'oeuvres from our mini appetiser menu, feel free to call me over…Rio's the name," the waitress stated confidently, gesturing towards the small white badge, pinned on the left breast pocket of her tight, white shirt.

'_Hmm_.' The blonde smiled cutely when a certain gunman passed his eyes over the nametag on her ample chest, before quickly averting his gaze back to the table, seeming to find the slightly scratched beer-mat before him exceptionally interesting to look at.

'A_ha! Gotcha!__'_Rio smiled to herself, wrongly interpreting Yazoo's refusal to look at her as a sign of timid attraction, when instead, the gunman was very, _very_ close to whipping out Velvet Nightmare and blasting a fist sized hole through the stupid blonde's left breast.

_0o0_

'_Hahahaha!_

_I know what game you__'__re playing here baby. _

_You are playing hard to get, aren__'__t you?_

_Humph, well I don__'__t mind your games baby…._

_For Rio can play such games too Hahaha!_

_And I__'__m sure by the end of this night,_

_You__'__ll be begging for all this Rio__'__s attention! _

_Hahahaha!__'_

0o0

Taking the table's mutual silence as her cue to leave, the waitress shifted her gaze between the two extraordinary handsome males, memorising their perfect faces to memory (favouring Yazoo's face for just a few seconds longer), before seductively scuttling off in her spidery thin heels to serve at another table.

When Rio disappeared away from the table, the instant exhale of relief from a certain gunman caught the flower girl's attention immediately.

"…I feel violated," Yazoo drawled out in a repugnant sigh, as he glared at the back of the curvy blonde waitress, who was quite conveniently serving another table within his line of sight, slipping the gunman non-discreet glances each time she thought no-one would think to catch her. But Yazoo did catch her, _each_ and _every_ unfortunate time.

'_Ugh…desperate human whore.__'_

When Aeris gasped her shock across the table, and Kadaj tried to cover his short, light-hearted sniggering with a loud and very startled cough (a certain brunette had caught him trying to laugh), Yazoo realised he had spoken his inner thoughts aloud. Raising a patronising brow at the brunette opposite him, Yazoo waited for a certain flower girl to challenge him of his rightful opinion. However, the gunman was mildly surprised when the brunette shyly averted her eyes from him, finding the menu in her hands unexpectedly interesting to look at…

The gunman's eyes narrowed in question.

'….…'

What an unusual reaction.

0o0

Aeris bit her lip anxiously.

She knew she was doing it again.

'_When Yazoo acts so arrogant and cruel…__'_

'_All I see is…__'_

'…_..'_

Aeris tried not to think _**His**_ name, in fear that the mere thought of _**Him**_ may rouse _**His**_ dark spirit to the table, whether in the eyes of Kadaj, or within the eyes of Yazoo.

'_Like earlier…when I imagined I saw __**Him**__ in Yazoo…_

_And let__'__s be honest… _

_This is what truly frightens me…_

_For as much as I may try to deny it, _

_The similarities between them and __**Him**__ are as clear as day.…_

_And the thought that Yazoo…_

_Or even Kadaj could disappear at any moment, _

_And be replaced by…__'_

"Mother?"

Aeris dropped her menu in surprise when she felt warm fingers crawl across her left hand.

The brunette swallowed nervously, as she stared down at the pale fingers crossed so protectively over own. Then slowly, Aeris shifted her gaze to her left hand side, past the leather clad arm and shoulder, before finally pausing on the all too familiar pair of mint-starlight eyes; eyes which glowed with _too_ much purity… with _too_ much love and devotion to ever be mistaken for _**His.**_ The flower maiden exhaled a nervous breath. At the sight of those soft, wide orbs boring so deeply into her own, the brunette felt her vision blur with an unexpected wave of tearful emotion.

'_K-Kadaj…__'_

"M-Mother?" Kadaj repeated softly, as he tilted his head in mild confusion. "What's wrong? You've been staring at me for quite a while now, and you kinda' look like you're about to-" the youth froze in surprise, when a single tear freed itself from his Mother's left eye. "-cry! Oh _**Mother**_!" Kadaj cried out in alarm. With his free left hand (as his right was still encased over his Mother's left,) the youth's picked up a white napkin from the table, and offered it to the tearful female at his side. "What's wrong Mother? Why are you crying?"

"…"

Aeris could not answer him. Nevertheless, the brunette accepted the pale fabric from the teen's offered hand.

Shakily raising the triangular cloth towards her face, Aeris tearfully bit her lip, before bravely swiping her pale wet cheeks. When the brunette slowly lowered the napkin back to the wooden table, the demi-Cetra closed her eyes and forced herself to blink back her remaining tears...

It hurt so much to hold everything back.

Her tears…

Her fears…

But Aeris knew she had no choice.

After all, the time of weakness had long since passed. _'__Be strong my daughter.__'_the demi-Cetra could imagine Gaia singing softly in her ear. '_Soon you will be free from all sorrow. But for now, you __**must**__ remain strong.__'_

And so the brunette forced down the last of her remaining tears. '_Strong,__'_the brunette repeated silently to herself, even when she felt two pairs of mako eyes boring right through her very skull.

_0o0_

'_I must remain_ _strong_.'

0o0

Praying again to the Planet to grant her much needed strength, the demi-Cetra wearily raised her tearful gaze towards the wide-eyed youth seated beside her. "I-I'm fine Kadaj," the brunette exhaled weakly, taking in the youth's concerned expression with slightly damp eyes. "I'm just tired.."

0o0

'_Yes…I__'__m just so tired of it all….__'_

0o0

Kadaj frowned softly. "Well… we have been travelling all day Mother," the teen agreed cautiously, as his lips lilted into a worried frown.

"Yeah," the demi-Cetra agreed in a distant tone, refusing to say anymore to the worried teen.

"*sigh*…" Removing her gaze from the concerned teen beside her, Aeris tiredly shifted her eyes towards the large blue stage, where a talented male pianist was currently playing a heartfelt melody to his enraptured audience, a melody that did little to shift the brunette's maudlin thoughts and feelings she felt for a certain one winged angel. At the mere thought of _**Him**_, her mad, fallen angel, Aeris felt another tear slip down her face. However, this time, the brunette could not will herself to wipe it away.

"_Mother_….._?"_ Kadaj's voice wavered softly, as he gently squeezed the brunette's left hand with his right. Kadaj never liked seeing his Mother so sad. After all, his Mother's upset…was his upset. "Are you sure you're-?"

"I'm fine," Aeris interrupted quietly.

"_Hn. Of course you are."_

At the sound of the gunman's cold utterance, teary orbs darted towards the other side of the table. '_Yazoo_…' The brunette felt her breath hitch nervously, as she tried not to focus on the gunman's eyes; _eyes, _thatunlike his younger Brother_, _belied no gentle warmth or comfort, only a chillingly cruel familiarity, which Aeris could not bear to witness now. Not now…. Especially not now…not when the memories of _**Him**_…and what _**He**_ once meant to her, were so close to the forefront of her mind….

_0o0_

'_Oh Gaia, I know you want me to be strong…_

_But how…?_

_**How**__ do you expect me to possess any form of strength…_

_When I have the shadow of __**Him**__ staring right in front of me?__'_

0o0

It was in that moment, Aeris felt something crack in her very being, and all the sadness and sorrow, which were currently swirling inside her conscious, unexpectedly warped itself into a violent and rather unexplainable rage.

"_**Will you stop LOOKING at me like that Yazoo**_!" Aeris blasted out suddenly, earning a slightly raised brow from the pale male in question. The gunman calmly blinked back at her, unfazed by the female's unexpected shot of anger. However, although her cry did not disturb the calm and placated warrior, that did not mean the nearby tables around her were unaffected by the brunette's unexpected burst of emotion. The demi-Cetra cringed painfully when she sensed more than a dozen sets of curious, owlish eyes looking in her direction.

The brunette bit her lip and closed her eyes. Aeris really felt like crying again.

_0o0_

'_Oh Gods….I know I__'__m going mad here…_

_But right now, I really can__'__t help it…_

_It__'__s just that Yazoo reminds me so much of __**Him**_

_And I-__'_

_0o0_

The Demi-Cetra paused in thought.

And then her wide green eyes dilated with an all too familiar horror.

'_Oh Gods..!_'

Aeris wanted to bang her head against the table. She was doing it again!

She was _comparing_ them yet again!

What was wrong with her! Aeris knew Yazoo and Sephiroth were not the same. They were simply not the same! And just because Yazoo had a few disturbing similarities to _**Him**_... That did not mean she had the right to…

"Like what?" Yazoo voiced quietly, interrupting the brunette's erratic trail of thought.

"W-what?" Aeris repeated tiredly.

The gunman frowned. "You told me to stop looking at you in a certain way, I wish to know what way you mean."

Aeris blinked, before inwardly grimacing. Aeris knew she could not answer Yazoo, for to answer him would mean inevitably telling him the truth….'_that_ _when I look at you…all I see… is __**Him**__.__'_

And so the brunette remained silent, which annoyed the gunman to no end.

"….Idiot," Yazoo muttered eventually, even though there was little bite to his tone.

Nevertheless, Aeris flinched at the minor insult. "No I'm not an idiot. It's just-"

"-you don't like me looking at you," Yazoo interrupted calmly.

"Yes! I mean _No_! No!"

When those familiar eyes, eyes that were too much like _**His**_, sharpened with an all too familiar intensity, the brunette quickly averted her eyes back to the table.

Yazoo made a disgruntled sound at the brunette's strange answer. "Idiot," the gunman repeated again.

"Stop calling me that," Aeris bit back fiercely, moments before Kadaj cried out 'S_top insulting Mother Brother!_'.

"Humph. Only when you stop being an idiot," Yazoo replied calmly, completely ignoring his sibling's words and focussing only on the brunette before him.

"…" When Aeris' face crumpled with genuine dejection, Kadaj glared violently at his elder Brother. "I said stop insulting Mother Yazoo!"

The gunman again ignored his sibling's vicious cry.

"Yazoo-" Aeris murmured after a moment, as the stress of the day began to build up in the corners of her eyes, but the brunette forced herself to keep them at bay. She knew she had to be _strong_.

'_But it__'__s so hard to be strong…_

_Especially when I have the shadow of __**Him**_

_Sitting right in front of me__…'_

Nevertheless, the brunette bit her lip, and found it within her to level her gaze at the man who stirred so many unconscious memories of the dark in her heart. "Yazoo," Aeris voiced quietly, as a sudden thought came to her. "Why do you enjoy being so cruel to me?"

'?' The gunman made no physical reaction to the brunette's quite unexpected words, and so the flower maiden repeated them yet again.

"_Why do you enjoy being so cruel?"_

An imperceptible flicker of emotion shivered within the calm depths of the gunman's mako eyes. "Excuse me?" Yazoo answered eventually, as he narrowed his gaze on the demi-Cetra with his calm, trademark glare. The gunman noticed that quite predictably, Kadaj on recognising his Mother's obvious upset, decided to glare more viciously at his person, acting very much like a little, subservient dog, angrily responding to the defence of its weak, and oh so foolish master.

"_Humph_.."

Yazoo was almost tempted to roll his eyes at his Brother's continuous idiocy.

'…_._…' Carelessly flicking a long pale lock of hair over one shoulder, the gunman waited for the brunette to elaborate on her very foolish words, but when the flower girl remained silent, Yazoo thought now was a wise time to put the silly girl in her place, once and for all.

"_Hn_. You _dare_ ask me such a question Aeris, but who are you to speak of cruelty? You speak to me as if you have never done a bad deed in your life."

"Yazoo! Stop speaking ill of Mother!" Kadaj exclaimed angrily, but once again, his words were ignored.

"Well I'm not the one who can't go a day without saying something cruel ," Aeris retorted back to the glaring gunman. "And if you don't believe me, tell me of a time when I have said something cruel to you Yazoo."

"….." Yazoo gritted his teeth. The answer was on his lips, but he knew he could not speak it aloud. Not when his Brother was within hearing vicinity.

0o0

'_Like last night._

_When you asked me to kill you.'_

0o0

Taking the gunman's silence as a sign of victory, the brunette continued on. "See! You can't think of a time, can you. That's because I have never been intentionally cruel to you. Isn't that right Kadaj?"

The aforementioned teen seated beside her nodded swiftly in agreement.

"Never?" Yazoo repeated quietly, as a shadow of unknown emotion flashed across the gunman's once passive features.

"_Never_," Aeris repeated firmly.

"…."

Mako green locked on with emerald green, and for one intense moment, Aeris could see a rare emotion, glimmering in the glowing depths of the gunman's hollow eyes. But the emotion diminished far too quickly for the brunette to interpret exactly what she had just seen. "?" And so the flower girl watched with furrowed brows as the pale warrior broke his narrowed eyed gaze from her face, before releasing a soft, disquieted sigh.

The gunman slowly shook his head, as if losing a battle with his own thoughts. "Aeris…" Yazoo muttered quietly, folding his arms, and turning his head to the side towards the stage, deliberately refusing to meet the brunette's eyes. "Think what you will of me. But know this, whatever you say means nothing to me."

0o0

'_You mean nothing to me…__'_

0o0

Soon after Yazoo said those words, an uncomfortable chill washed over the trio of three.

And then the table became sinisterly silent.

Kadaj looked between the faces of his brooding Brother and his confused Mother. The youth was not sure what was going on between them, but he really did not like the way Yazoo could happily insult his Mother so easily. Kadaj knew no loyal son would allow their own Mother to be spoken to so disrespectfully, especially by one of their own blood. And so the young warrior clenched his teeth in irritation. Kadaj knew he had to put his bastard Brother in his place.

"Yazoo!" Kadaj hissed angrily, as he narrowed his eyes at the calm, elder male. "Apologise to Mother."

Bored mako orbs flickered in his Brother's direction. "….no," Yazoo stated calmly.

"_Yazoo_…" The teen's catlike eyes flashed with a visible vehemence. "Apologise. To. Mother. _Now_!"

"_Hn_….. no," the gunman repeated in the same droll tone.

"_**Yazoo**_-" Kadaj made an angry sound at the back of his throat. He was ready to retaliate further, if it wasn't for his Mother gently touching his arm.

"Um Kadaj, could you call that waitress back over to our table? I'm feeling a little thirsty now," Aeris interrupted softly, in an attempt to nullify the youth's tempestuous anger. The last thing the demi-Cetra wanted to witness, was a fight between the two silver haired Brothers.

"Eh? What? A drink?" Kadaj blinked innocently, as he repeated his Mother's words in his head. In an instant, all previous thoughts of brawling Yazoo were momentarily forgotten. "Oh of course Mother! I will do it right away," the teen answered in his usual overly eager tone (a tone he used only for his beloved Mother), while his wide mako eyes flashed around the dark lit room. The moment Kadaj caught sight of a certain blonde waitress near the bar, tottering in her thin heels and with a silver tray in hand, the teen opened his mouth, and said..

"HEY YOU! YEAH YOU! THE ONE IN THE TOO SHORT SKIRT! GET OVER HERE RIGHT NOW! MOTHER WANTS TO MAKE AN ORDER HERE!"

0o0

#**CRASH**#

0o0

"…." Yazoo slapped a weary hand over his eyes.

"_Kadaj_!" Aeris exclaimed in a strong and disapproving tone, barely able to watch as Rio was so startled by the teen's cry that she had dropped her tray to the floor. _'Oh dear…How embarrassing…'_ Fortunately, for the waitress, her tray was empty so the only sound the bar heard was a clattering discord of metal hitting the carpet, and not glass. Nevertheless, chairs still shifted and heads turned towards the new source of chaos in the bar.

Cringing at his Mother's strong, disapproving tone, Kadaj had the decency to look slightly abashed. "I'm sorry Mother," Kadaj apologised softly, even though the warrior was unsure as to what he was even apologising. "I-I was only doing what you asked me to Mother."

"Yes, I know, I know… just don't do it again, ok?" Aeris replied softly, watching as the waitress picked up her fallen tray, before raising dagger eyes towards the brunette's table.

Fortunately, for Aeris, it seemed the waitress's anger was short-lived, for the moment her indigo eyes found Kadaj and Yazoo, her dark, angered expression soon dissipated, and was replaced with a more contented smile.

Quickly settling her tray on the nearby counter, Rio quickly turned and sauntered her way back towards the leather-clad table. "Hi again! Sorry about earlier. You startled me." Rio announced when she reached Aeris' table, eyeing the two most attractive males in the room. "So what can I get for you ho-guys?"

Yazoo averted his eyes from Rio and said nothing.

"Um…" Kadaj turned to the brunette at his side. "What drink would you like to order Mother?"

In truth, Aeris had no idea what she wanted. She only asked Kadaj to bring the waitress over, as to prevent him from fighting his elder Brother. "Um, water is fine," the brunette stated softly.

Kadaj turned his head back to the waitress. "Two waters."

"Alright. Sparkling or still?" Rio asked calmly, all the while eyeing Kadaj as she did so.

Kadaj turned his wide orbs back towards his Mother.

"Still is fine," Aeris answered.

Kadaj turned his head back to Rio.

"Two still."

Rio scratched their orders into her pad, and then her indigo eyes flashed towards the ridiculously attractive gunman who was currently looking down at the tiny stitches dotted along the seams of his tight leather gloves.

"And you sir?" Rio asked, trying to meet the gunman in the eye.

"Anything strong…" Yazoo muttered eventually, refusing to look anywhere near the blonde's face.

'_Aha_!' Rio smiled inwardly._ 'I'm sure a glass or two of a hard mix will make this hotty less shy around me.'_ "Alright strong it is then Sir. So is whiskey alright? Or would you prefer Cognac? Armagnac? Wine? Brandy-?"

"I don't care," the gunman interrupted quietly. "Just as long as it's strong."

"Whiskey it is then," Rio answered with a sweet smile. "Ice?"

Yazoo gritted his teeth. "…I don't care."

The blonde beamed softly. "Alright…well if that's all, I will be back in a flash," and with that, Rio disappeared towards the bar, materialising less than a minute later, with the ordered drinks on a tray. "Well, here you go," Rio called out happily, handing the two waters over to Kadaj and Aeris, before sweetly pushing the cold alcoholic beverage into the gunman's hand. She deliberately allowed her manicured nails to stray over the warrior's long, gloved fingers for a few seconds longer than necessary, before gently pulling them away. The blonde flashed a wild grin at the introverted gunman, seeming to find his inability to look at her, and the way his anxiously knuckles flexed around his wide glass, inexplicably…._cute_.

"Well anyways… since I know you guys have been patiently waiting for quite a awhile, I'm just gonna check out the dining quarters now, and see whether a table has been vacated for you. Bright back," Rio announced cheerfully, pausing only once to send a seductive wink Yazoo's way, before pivoting on one heel and striding out of the bar and into the dining hall.

'…_be right back…'_ Yazoo bit the inside of his cheek. The urge to leave the table before the accursed female got back was getting so much stronger. His eyes flickered towards the dark amber liquid in his glass, wondering whether the blonde was audacious enough to plant a date rape drug into his drink.

"Hey Brother…"

The gunman cautiously lifted his gaze from his small glass of whiskey, to eye his younger Brother. Judging from Kadaj's lazy smirk, it seemed his younger sibling was amused by something.

The gunman narrowed his gaze at the teen. "What is it Kadaj?"

Kadaj's smirk widened. "Just letting you know Brother, that you have lipstick on the rim of your glass."

Yazoo blinked sharply. '?' Turning his glass around slowly, the gunman's was revolted to find a small smudge of red, smeared on the outer rim of his glass…in the shape of a _woman's_ _mouth_?

"_!"_

'_Why that disgusting-…'_

In an instant, the gunman violently pushed his whiskey glass away from his person and towards the other side of the table. It was only by a short miracle that the drink did not fall off the table and smash on the floor.

The swordsman grinned at his Brother's response. "Haha, either the dishwasher is broken here Brother…" Kadaj began, as he paused to check that his and his Mother's glass, relieved to find that they were both thankfully clean. "Or…" A viciously cute grin appeared across the youth's face "Brother, I think you have a secret admirer.."

"…A secret admirer…" Yazoo drawled out calmly, just as his face contorted into a deeper shade of revulsion. "…." Now that Yazoo thought about it, the gunman was more than sure that a certain blonde waitress wore the exact revolting shade of red on her mouth, just like the whorish colour that was currently staining his small whiskey glass.

"…" This realisation displeased the gunman greatly_._

'_Why that-'_ The gunman clenched his gloved palms into tight fists. _'….disgusting little harlot. How dare she offer me a glass that is smothered by her own oral filth.'_

Kadaj snorted in dark amusement. "You seem unhappy Brother. Don't you like the thought of a random stranger fancying you?"

"…" The gunman's lips thinned. "Humph," the warrior grunted to himself. He'd rather kill the perverted fool than willingly bed her.

And then, with that thought in mind, Yazoo felt his lips curl into a rare, yet pleasant smile.

"Hey Kadaj…"

Wide mako eyes blinked at his elder Brother. "What Brother?"

The gunman's _sweet_ smile became even more pronounced. "If I were to impale this 'secret admirer' on my Velvet Nightmare , do you think they would still desire me?"

From his Brother's words, the young warrior's eyes lit up with dark mischief. "With your Velvet Nightmare?" Kadaj snickered with a cruel, sinister mirth. "Oh I think that would be a definite yes." But as soon as the youth began to laugh, the teen's amusement was cut short by a single, confused glance of a certain green-eyed flower girl.

"?"

Aeris looked between Kadaj and Yazoo, all the while listening to their strange, dark banter. Both warriors seemed amused by something she could not seem to comprehend herself. "Your…Velvet Nightmare?" Aeris blinked in mild confusion. In truth, the demi-Cetra had no clue as to what Yazoo's Velvet Nightmare could possibly be. It did not help matters how the flower girl was far too tired to think of anything remotely rational. As Aeris thought of the gunman's previous words, the demi-Cetra's first thought was how Yazoo's Velvet Nightmare was some sort of crude euphemism. After all, Aeris had lived under the Midgar slums ever since she was a very little girl, and her Mother Elymra had often warned her about the wickedness of men. Men, whose horrid thoughts were usually connected to one foul thing.…

Yazoo as if sensing the path of the brunette's idiotic thinking, felt the need to relieve the girl of her incessant and unnecessary foolishness. "Velvet Nightmare is my weapon," the gunman stated calmly. "My gun, you idiot." Yazoo clarified further, watching the brunette's facial expression falter in shock. "What else did you think my Velvet Nightmare could be?" the gunman asked smoothly, as a dark teasing glint began to grow in the glowing depths of his green mako eyes.

"…_nothing_," the flower girl murmured quietly, as she nervously averted her gaze to the side, away from the gunman's rather wicked eyes, and Kadaj's confused frown. Aeris sighed softly to herself, feeling slightly fortunate that the innuendo had been lost on the young teen.

'_Now if only the innuendo was lost on me too…__'_

The gunman's lips twitched lightly at the brunette's red, flushed face. Yazoo did not know what came over him, but he suddenly felt like digging the blade in just a little further.

"_Nothing_? Are you sure it was just _nothing _Aeris? Hn…. from the red expression on your face , I'm sure you thought my Velvet Nightmare to be something else entirely."

"N-n-no..!" Aeris stammered feebly.

Yazoo allowed himself to chuckle softly when the flower girl whipped her cherry-red face downwards, concealing her blushing features from view.

"You really are a _**cruel**_ person," Aeris murmured eventually, realising that all previous anger for the gunman had now transformed itself into pure embarrassment.

"Hn." The pale warrior snorted. '_Back to this again.__'_ Yazoo calmly narrowed his gaze on the wide doe orbs of a certain brunette, and in that one entrancing moment, Aeris _felt_ an unwelcome intensity of emotion emanating from within the glowing depths of Yazoo's eyes. "Aeris you may see me as cruel- " the gunman began slowly, as his laughter began to fade away to silence. "-but you must realise that the cruelty I reveal to you, is _nothing_ compared to the cruelty you reveal to me."

0o0

'_Or have you already forgotten what you made me promise you Aeris? _

_Who do you think Kadaj will blame for killing you? _

_You know it won__'__t be you, will it? _

_It will __**never**__ be you…__'_

_0o0_

"What…?" '_Cruel_?' Aeris stared anxiously at the pale warrior, stunned into silence. _'__But…how...no…when have I ever been cruel to-?__'_ The brunette tried to open her mouth, but no sound would dare escape her lips. Before the tension across their table could escalate any further, a pale fist flashed across the table, like a viper ready to strike.

But Yazoo calmly tilted his head to the side, grabbing his Brother's fist nano-seconds before it made a violent impact to his face.

Kadaj's nostrils flared out with a visible ire. "Yazoo! Apologise for lying to Mother!" The young warrior snarled out angrily, as he desperately tried to wrench his hand away from his Brother's tight grasp.

The gunman calmly frowned at his younger sibling. "_Lying_? I have spoken no lies here little Brother," Yazoo answered indifferently, as his gloved grip began to tighten over the teen's white clenched knuckles.

Fearing that the Brothers were going to start a fight across the table, Aeris instinctively reached out for Kadaj's outstretched arm. "Kadaj no! Please! Don't make a scene. Not here," the brunette pleaded softly, as she anxiously looked around the room. Fortunately, most people in the busy bar were focussed on the solo pianist on the stage, although a couple of eyes were drawn towards their table, looking mildly irate how their pleasant piano listening had been continuously interrupted by their loud and rowdy table.

The brunette gnawed her lip with worry, as she turned her gaze back to the silver haired Brothers who looked both ready to fight. _'__No. please.. Kadaj. Yazoo. Don__'__t.__'_

The last thing Aeris wanted to witness tonight was a messy brawl between the two warriors in this rather classy bar.

"No! Yazoo…._please,_ don't do this. Don't fight your Brother ..." the brunette all but begged, as her emerald eyes looked between the two males, who were both tensed up and ready for battle. '_Oh_ _no_!' Deep down, Aeris knew she could not stop the warriors if they truly wanted to fight each other. '_Just like I could never stop __**Him**__…'_

Fortunately, for Aeris, the Brothers did no more than glare at each other, and then the brunette sighed with genuine relief when with great reluctance, Yazoo calmly released his Brother's hand, but not without glaring at her as he did so.

Kadaj bared his teeth at his elder sibling, looking more than ready to throw himself across the table to pummel his bastard Brother to the ground, if only to defend his Mother's beloved honour.

But when Aeris squeezed his arm.

And her wide, concerned eyes connected with his own…

Kadaj felt all his anger begin to slowly ebb away.

'_Mother…__'_

The youth closed his eyes for a moment and sighed.

_0o0_

'_Mother…don__'__t you worry…_

_I promise I won__'__t fight Brother here… _

_Even though Yazoo deserves nothing more than to get his face smashed in by me._

_Grrrr evil, lying bastard….__'_

_0o0_

When the young swordsman next opened his eyes, Kadaj paused for a moment, to glare angrily at his elder Brother, before gazing adoringly at the pretty female seated beside him. "_Oh_ _Mother_," Kadaj murmured softly, as he searched the brunette's face for all the warmth and kindness he knew he would inevitably find there. "You really shouldn't allow Yazoo to say such cruel things about you, especially when they are always _far_ from true." Suddenly, the brunette's grip on the teen's arm was reversed, and Aeris found herself prisoner to the youth's warm, gentle grasp. "For no matter what horrible things Yazoo may say about you, you could _never_ be cruel Mother….For how could you be, when everything about you is _perfect_?"

At the sight of those wide, honest eyes, boring so deeply into her own, Aeris could not stop the blush from forming across her face, tinting her once pale cheeks into a soft cherry pink. '_Oh Kadaj…__'_As cheesy as the teen's words usually were, Aeris could not deny how the youth sometimes had the power to make her heart flutter so nervously, like the wings of a newborn butterfly, too afraid to fly.

"Hn. Indeed Kadaj, she is _perfect_," Yazoo agreed calmly, causing the brunette to flush even further in surprise. "A_ perfect damnation_," Yazoo clarified passively, winning a very angry snarl from his younger sibling.

"_Grragh_! _**Damn**_ _**you**_ Brother!" Kadaj cried, his mako eyes flashing with a pure, venomous anger.

"_Kadaj_, no!" Aeris called out desperately, squeezing the youth's arm again in an attempt to stop a violent fight from erupting in the bar. The young swordsman gritted his teeth, and yet very reluctantly turned his gaze from his older bastard sibling…

But that was only before Kadaj tried to kick his Brother's leg out from under the table….

And _missed_!

"….."

The young warrior seethed with visible ire when his elder sibling raised calm, patronising brow at him.

'_Was that supposed to touch me little Brother?__'_

The teen's eyes narrowed with vengeful intent.

'_I__'__ll get you back Big Brother, just you wait…__'_

Kadaj growled deeply, trying to expel his growing anger for his Brother by turning all his loving attention towards the dark haired female at his side. "Oh Mother, please ignore the bastardness that is my Brother. In truth, Yazoo knows he does not deserve to sit anywhere near your glorious presence," Kadaj voiced in a soft and gentle tone, while he reassuringly stroked the brunette's gloved knuckles with his own pale thumb.

"_Humph_."

When the young swordsman heard the derisive snort from the other side of the table, Kadaj glared angrily at his elder sibling. But the glare soon faded away when Kadaj quickly realised how his Brother was currently eyeing the table, or more specifically his pale fingers, bonded so closely with his Mother's hand.

'_Hmmm…_.'

A malicious sheen glinted in the teen's eyes. It was in that instant, Kadaj thought up a very, very wicked idea. Kadaj knew of a foolproof way to silence his Brother's infernal bastardness, while obeying the will of his Mother and not withdrawing Souba at the table. And so, threading his long fingers between his Mother's, Kadaj turned his head to smile prettily at the dark haired female seated beside him. "You know what Mother…" Kadaj began in a soft playful tone. "I think I know the reason why Big Brother acts so cruel to you…Would you like to know why Mother?"

The brunette blinked down at the teen, oblivious to the way the gunman's spine had straightened almost imperceptivity. Cold mako eyes darted towards the face of his younger sibling, almost daring him to continue.

"Hmm…Why is that Kadaj?" Aeris asked simply.

And with that, Kadaj turned to look at his elder Brother, and sent him a viciously cute _smile_; a smile that was devoid of all warmth and mercy.

"It's because Yazoo _**loves**_ you Mother-"

_0o0_

A muscle in the gunman's jaw flexed involuntarily.

And gloved hands fisted beneath the table, unseen.

'_Kadaj. Why you….little….__'_

0o0

And the teen continued on.

"-and yet Brother knows you could never love him the same way you love me." _'__After all he knows I__'__m your favourite.__'_"So the cruelty you see in him is actually jealousy. He wants to share your love yet knows he is undeserving of your-."

"Kadaj," the gunman interrupted coolly, glaring calmly at his youngest sibling. "Keep your foolish tales of nonsense to yourself."

The teen snorted. "Humph. I'll only shut up when you admit the truth to us all Big Brother."

"I won't play a part in your foolish games little Brother." Yazoo retorted calmly, even though his eyes had turned to ice.

Aeris gaped as she looked between both Brothers who seemed to be arguing over her of all people.

"Yeah, that's cos you know you have no chance in winning," Kadaj chuckled darkly. "So admit it Brother. Admit to me that you are in love with Mother."

The brunette's brows furrowed. This game that Kadaj was currently playing had taken a disturbing turn for the worse.

"Kadaj, stop teasing your-," Aeris began softly, but the moment _their_ eyes locked, Aeris felt something shift in the pale gunman's eyes. Before Aeris could comprehend what she had seen, the silent warrior turned his head downwards, concealing his facial features within his hair. Then slowly, Yazoo tilted his head upwards, allowing Aeris to see a slit of _intense_ mako green peeking out from between his long silvery bangs.

And in that moment, Aeris was struck with an all too familiar memory

'…_..S-Seph…?'_

"I do not love her Kadaj…." Yazoo muttered within the pale sheath of his hair, all the while maintaining his frosty glare on the startled female before him. "I could _never_ love a women like her. I would _never_ love a woman like her."

_0o0_

Aeris' gaze dilated in shock.

'_I do not love…__'_

'_I could never love…'_

'_I would never love…'_

0o0

A terrifying image of Sephiroth flashed through the demi-Cetra's fragile heart.

And Aeris violently snapped her neck to the side… breaking her gaze with the pale haired warrior, momentarily stunned by her own emotional reaction to the gunman's callous words.

'_Oh Gods!'_

'…_Yazoo'__s words just now__**…'**_

'_They were like__…..'_

'_They were just like…'_

_0o0_

"_**Aeris…**_

"**You **_**think**_** I **_**love **_**you?"**

"**Aeris I cannot**_** love you**_**..."**

'**I possess no such feelings of love for you.'**

_0o0_

Oh Gods… it hurt so much to remember _**His**_ cruel words, revived by Yazoo of all people. The brunette clenched her hands under the table, and an uncomfortable silence began to manifest over the table of three. And as if the pianist in the room could sense the growing tension in the air, the music began to shift into a dark and melancholy tempo of emotion.

'_I do not love her…__'_

Aeris felt her shoulders trembling.

'_I could not love her.__'_

She knew the madness was getting too much for her.

'_I would never love her…'_

The connection she kept on seeing between _**Him**_ and Yazoo… it was becoming too much to bear. And so the brunette shot up to her feet, much to the mild surprise of both seated warriors. Kadaj looked ready to stand as well, but the flower girl quickly shook her head. "Bathroom," the brunette mumbled quickly, not trusting her voice to say anything else. And before the flower girl realised what she was doing, she was moving halfway across the bar, going past table after table. All the demi-Cetra could focus on was getting herself out of the waiting room and moving as _far_ away from the silver haired Brothers as fast as she could possibly go.

When the demi-Cetra pushed herself through the large silvery doors, Aeris realised she was finally back in the entrance hall. The brunette sighed tiredly and looked around the empty entrance hall alone.

As the brunette looked first towards her left and then towards her right, it did not take long for the flower girl to realise that she had no idea where the toilets were located. '_Not that it really matters_…' the brunette sighed sadly to herself. '_All I wanted was a little time to myself…just a short moment to think...and not be reminded of…__**Him..**__' _

As the flower maiden idly wandered across the blue carpeted room, Aeris inevitably found herself moving towards the large ice feature in the centre of the entrance hall, where the familiar life sized statue of the goddess Shiva glared down at her with eyes that looked so calm, so cold,…so dark and cruel with their alluring mako glow…

_0o0_

'_Oh Gods__!__'_

Aeris mentally cursed to herself.

'_I__'__m doing it again!__'_

'_Why can__'__t my mind focus on anything else other than __**Him**__!__'_

0o0

"!"

When Aeris felt a hand on her shoulder, the brunette nearly leapt upwards in fright.

Assuming that a certain silver haired teen had followed her out of the bar, the flower girl turned around, but was quite surprised to see a black haired, blue waist-coated waiter standing before her, instead of a short, green-eyed swordsman. " Hey is everything alright Miss? You look a little lost…" the tall, dark haired stranger began, as his coffee coloured eyes softened at the sight of the petite female standing all alone by the life-sized Shiva statue.

The brunette shook her head, and instinctively shied away from the tall male stranger. "No, I was...I just…" Aeris began softly, before shaking her head once more. The flower girl furrowed her brows, before shyly gazing up at the rather tall waiter. Now she was looking him in the eye, Aeris sensed something familiar about this young man….even though she was 100% sure that she had never met him in her life before. The brunette mentally shook her head. Now was not the time for thinking of such irrelevant things. She needed to focus on the now. "Um…can you please tell me where the Ladies' rooms are …?" Aeris mumbled softly.

"Aha, so you WERE lost," the male waiter chuckled in a gentle teasing tone, shaking his head calmly at the wide-eyed, nervous female. "Aww, you needn't be embarrassed Missy. We all get lost from time to time. Anywho, let me tell you where to go from here. Can you see those spiral stairs to your right? Well don't go up them, ok, for they lead straight to the dining quarters. Just walk past the staircase here and you'll see a set of blue double doors on the far right. There should be a large W.C. sign on the left hand side of the door." The brunet stretched his hands apart to emphasis the size of the sign. "Go through them and the ladies restroom should be on your direct left. You really can't miss it." The male finished with a pleasant grin, causing the brunette to crack a weak smile at him.

"Um, thank you," Aeris mumbled softly, as she began to slowly shuffle towards the tall, blue doors.

The waiter scratched the back of his head, and watched her move away from him, beaming all the while. "Ah no probs hun. I was just heading for my break and you looked like you really needed some help."

"Well I appreciated your help," the brunette admitted softly, stopping for a moment to thank the polite stranger. "Thank you."

Aeris' gratitude caused the male to beam a little wider. "Well I'm glad to be of help 'lil Missy. Any-who, if you ever decide to get lost again, feel free to look me up."

Aeris smiled. The brunette was about to reply '_But I don__'__t know your name__'_, but then wide green eyes caught the sight of a small white nametag pinned on the waiter's blue waistcoat. At the sight of an all too familiar four-lettered word, Aeris felt all blood drain from her face.

'…_Zack?'_

Again, memories of the past and present clashed into a maelstrom of madness, and the waiter blinked in confusion as the wide-eyed flower girl stared at him with a look of raw horror, before speeding across the room, through the wide blue doors, and right out of sight.

"Erm….O-k?"

Zack blinked rapidly, mildly bemused by the brunette's rather hasty departure. "What a strange, _strange_ girl," the waiter murmured to himself, as his dark eyes stared at the blue swinging doors before him with light amusement. _'__She was kinda cute though…in a damsel in distressy sort of way…__'_ The brunet shook his head in mild amusement. "Oh well…. that's enough dilly dallying for today-" Zack remarked to himself, before pumping an ambitious fist right up in the air. "Alright then! Fag break here I come!"

_0o0_

Slamming the restroom door shut behind her, Aeris panted hard against the silver metal frame. The demi-Cetra's thoughts were now in shambles. At the sight of one simple name, all her thoughts had become one jumbled mess. Her mind was now trapped in memories of the past that brought out so many _fears…_.and too many _tears_…

The brunette brought a shaky hand to her temple._"Oh Zack…" _Aeris whispered softly. Seeing her former love's name on the badge of another man, brought back tearful images of a certain blue eyed, dark haired SOLDIER, whose smile could light up all the stars of heaven. But then the demi-Cetra's mind flashed back to a more recent memory, where she last saw her former love Zack standing at the tip of the abyss in the Northern Crater. Aeris remembered how his long _silvery_ bangs danced in the wind, before he was forced to fall down into the darkness…

_Into__** His**__ world of false light…_

_**The Reunion.**_

_**His**__ orgy of death…_

"!"

The brunette cringed painfully.

'_Oh Gods, I__'__m still doing it. I'm still thinking about…__'_

The brunette was ready to slip down to the ground. Aeris realised it didn't matter who or what she thought about. For it seemed no matter whom she knew from the past…or what she saw in the present…..everything in her life always seemed to always be connected to… _**HIM**_!

Stumbling from the closed doorway, the brunette's red-blotched eyes looked about and around the thankfully vacant restroom. Stumbling past the many empty white cubicles, the flower girl stopped when she reached the row of porcelain sinks. Running the warm water tap for less than a minute, Aeris rubbed her hands underneath the running faucet, splashing her face, once, twice, three times, in an attempt to cleanse her body of all self-damning thoughts. Turning off the tap, the brunette closed her eyes with a sigh before leaning over the sink, allowing her water clogged bangs to drip into the porcelain basin before her.

'_Oh __Seph…_

_Why do I allow you to haunt my every thought?_

_Why are you always at the forefront of my mind…?_

When no answer could come to mind, Aeris opened her eyes. Then slowly, her tearful orbs lifted themselves up from the sink. The moment her eyes caught her reflection in the mirror above the sink…

"!"

The brunette gasped and almost took a step backward in fright!

"It…it can't be.." the demi-Cetra whispered out in weak horror. Aeris brought a hand over her parted lips, and nervously looked at the haggard stranger staring back at her from within the cold realm of the mirror. Half starved and completely dishevelled, the female Aeris saw looked like she had not eaten a proper meal in months. And clad in cruel dark leather and sporting wild brown hair, Aeris could see nothing of the demure and innocent flower girl who once lived a peaceful life in the Midgar slums.

"-Is that…?"

Aeris bit her chapped lips, and trailed her fingers over her swollen eyes, still red from crying earlier.

"_Me_-?" the flower girl finished in a cracked whisper.

The answer was staring right at her.

And so the brunette brought a hand over her eyes…

She could not bear to witness the truth…of how broken she looked…and how weak she felt…

This truth was too much to bear.

And so a sob choked from the flower girl's throat.

Followed by another….

And another…

Before the brunette knew what was happening, Aeris was half leaning over the sink, crying her little lungs out. Aeris cried as if her entire world was falling down around her. She cried knowing that her life would soon come to an end. Fisting her gloved hands against her eyes, Aeris allowed her body to wrack with a pain no human deserved to bear alone…

'_But then I__'__m not human…_

_Nor am I a true Cetra…_

_And I__'__m so close to breaking point…_

_And yet…_

_I know…._

_That no matter what I do…_

_**I have no choice…**_

_I have to do this…_

_I must keep going…_

_I can__'__t turn back now._

_I cannot let myself stop here…_

_Not when I__'__m this close…to ending it all._

_And yet even knowing this.._

_I'm so scared…_

_I'm so very, very scared…'_

More tears came, but the demi-Cetra could do nothing more than let them fall. Keeping a hand to her face, Aeris allowed the anguish to wrack at her body as she reminded herself as to why she had to keep on fighting…and why she had to remain _strong _to-

***SLAM***

The brunette jumped in terror, turning distressed eyes towards the entrance of the restroom. A familiar silver haired teen stood by the open door. His wide mako eyes were fixed only on the sight of the brunette's tear stained face. '_K_-_Kadaj_?' The aforementioned youth, who, when realising that his Mother was crying, rushed over to the female without a single moment's thought.

"_Mother_!" Kadaj cried out desperately, as he dropped down to his knees before the horrified female, taking both her hands within his own. "What's wrong Mother? What's the matter? Why are you crying? Did Yazoo or I say something to upset you? Is that why you ran off? Please Mother, tell me, what's wrong?"

"…." The demi-Cetra turned her head to the side, refusing to look down at the pale youth kneeling before her.

Kadaj tightened his fingers around the brunette's wrists. "Mother please, _please_ tell me, what has happened to make you this upset?"

"…." The brunette bit her lip.

"_Mother_…!" The teen's eyes were beginning to get genuinely tearful now. "Your silence is scaring me. Please Mother… Have I done something to make you sad? Is that why you're refusing to answer me?"

The brunette exhaled a feeble breath.

And then wide mako green locked onto soft, crying green.

"Kadaj," Aeris murmured eventually, as she tugged on the teen's hands. "Please get up. You are kneeling on the floor of a woman's bathroom."

The youth blinked softly, pausing for a moment to stare down at the cold, white tiles beneath his knees. "?" Tilting his head to the side in mild bemusement, Kadaj shyly peeped up at his Mother through his long, pale hair. His eyes wavered with a look of such undiluted innocence that it caused the demi-Cetra, despite all her current stress and emotional trauma, to quite literally roll her eyes at the rather immature youth. "Get up Kadaj," Aeris repeated tiredly, tugging the youth back up and onto his feet. Now the teen was at full height, the flower maiden was now all too aware of how Kadaj's large orbs were just scant inches from her own.

"_Mother_…?" Kadaj swallowed uneasily, quite disturbed by the sight of the brunette's bloodshot eyes. Kadaj could not think of anything that may have happened to make his Mother so upset. He could only assume the first thing that came to mind "Are you hurt Mother?" Kadaj asked nervously, as the brunette shook her head with a calm negative. The teen furrowed his brows, trying to remember the strange word Aeris told him the last time she experienced a pain she was most reluctant to speak about. "Is it….is it your _period_ again Mother?"

The words were so unexpected, that it caused the demi-Cetra to laugh despite her desperate need to shed more tears. "No Kadaj…" Aeris sighed quietly, with a timid shake of her head. The brunette was much too upset to be angry at the youth's uncouthness.

"No?" The youth bit his lip. "But then….why?" Kadaj voiced weakly, as he gestured to the long tear tracks on his Mother's face.

"….." The brunette remained silent. Aeris really did not know what to say to Kadaj. She could not lie to the teen. The last thing she wanted to do was _lie_ to him…and so the demi-Cetra turned her gaze from the young swordsman…to face the reality of her reflection once more. And as the flower maiden stared at her fallen self, Aeris soon found the words she could say to the young teen…words which were not all inherent lies…words that could conceal her Cetra Burden from Kadaj…and yet still be conveyed as truth.

The demi Cetra swallowed nervously.

"It's because…" Aeris began quietly, as she tugged her hands free from the teen's gentle grip, before turning away from him, so she could fully face her ratty reflection in the mirror.

_'_Ugh_…'_

The brunette tried to smile at her reflection, but the smile was brittle and devoid of life. And so the brunette gave up on trying to look happy, and instead hunched her shoulders, inhaling a shy and nervous breath. "I..-I feel ugly…" Aeris admitted in a cracked whisper, and as a testament to her broken words, a thin tear trickled out of her left tear duct.

'_!__'_

The demi-Cetra heard the young swordsman exhale a sharp intake of breath.

Before the flower girl realised what was even happening, a certain silver haired face materialised right over her right shoulder. "_Oh_ _Mother_! What-no _**why**_ would you think such _**lies **_about yourself, let alone speak them out loud?" the teen exclaimed with open dismay, possessively embracing the tearful brunette from behind.

"_Because it'__s…true…" _Aeris tried to whisper to him, but her vocal cords faded her when the warrior wrapped his possessive hands around her torso, and crushed his face deep into her shoulder.

0o0

The brunette involuntarily shuddered.

And her hands flexed against the side of the sink.

0o0

"Oh _Mother!_" Kadaj repeated once again, pausing for a moment to inhale the brunette's natural floral scent, trapped beneath the dead smell of smooth, black leather. "Do you not realise how beautiful you are?" the youth breathed into her skin, as his pale fingers rubbed reassuring circles across his Mother's lower stomach.

0o0

Aeris could not say anything.

For her wide orbs were fixed on her reflection in the mirror…

_No_…not her reflection…

_**Their**_ reflection …

0o0

"_Mother_," Kadaj sighed softly into the flower maiden's flesh. "If only I could show you how beautiful you really are…then you would never feel a reason to cry."

Aeris shivered nervously as she felt the teen sigh deeply against her ear. The heat of Kadaj's hot breath was too close to her skin, and his fingers were gripped too tightly around her torso. The brunette mentally shuddered. The youth's hold was stifling, and yet, for reasons the flower maiden couldn't seem to understand, Aeris could not will herself to push the teen away. It was as if her body had disconnected itself to her mind. She was trapped…trapped by her lack of will to move.

"Just tell me how to make you happy Mother,"The young warrior smiled against the whiteness of his Mother's delicate throat. "Mother...," he murmured softly. "Tell me what to say and what to do. You know I would do anything for you..."

Pale fingers flexed across the demi-Cetra's lower torso,

And suddenly Aeris felt it was too difficult to breathe.

"Mother, whenever you are near me, all I want to do is hold you in my arms.…your presence makes me feel so full of life... you make me feel so whole. I feel so happy when I'm with you. I know without you I would feel incomplete. You give my life meaning. That is why wherever you go Mother, I will follow…It doesn't matter where you go, I will always find a way to get there…because without you…"

A tearful shudder wracked through the youth's frame, and Aeris fought the urge to choke on a sob. _'No Kadaj…Don't say it…Please don't say it.'_

"_**I'd die….." **_

The demi-Cetra clenched her small fists, and her tearful eyes darted everywhere but at the youth at her side. '_Don't break down Aeris_. Dont focus on his words. _Be strong. Be strong.'_

"I'd die," Kadaj repeated in a shaky whisper, as he lowered his head upon the flower maiden's shoulder. "You know...before I met you Mother…my whole life…..it had no reason….it had no meaning…I would sleep in the same bed. I would wake up to the same white sky. To me...everything was the same. Meaningless…Pointless…The only thing I could do to ease my boredom in the Sanctuary was train myself harder… But...no matter what strength I gained, deep down, I knew I was missing something crucial. I knew there had to be more to my life than just obtaining power... and yet I could not find the answers myself. Although I spoke to my Brothers and Sisters about my thoughts on this, no one seemed to be able to understand me...They could not understand why I could feel so unsatisfied when _**He**_ could grant us everything we could ever desire. They could not understand why I could feel so alone even when I was surrounded by family.

I could not understand why I felt so alone.

And so I prayed to Him for answers.

I begged Sephiroth to grant me the answers that my heart desired to know.

Why I always craved to look beyond the horizon.

Why the Sanctuary could not grant me the peace i wanted.

But...my prayers went unanswered.

And so my solitude continued.

Soon I occupied my times in the Sanctuary by wandering into the Western Forest… practising alone with Souba against the refuse that preyed there. Hmm, I used to practise there so often. In truth, I actually enjoyed going into the forest, since the area was always full of beasts… I was always left there to train alone, since other than me, very few fighters was brave enough to train there. Not that I can really blame them, 'cos some of the monsters in there were really frigging strong. Here look-" The teen paused mid-tale, and pulled away from the brunette, turning his back to her and lifting the back of his hair up, so that the nape of his neck was visible to his Mother's wide eyed gaze.

Aeris blinked, eyeing the strange thin scar, just under a hand-span long, which stretched a long horizontal line across the entire expanse of the teen's pale neck.

"Ah, that was done by this bastard ruby dragon I fought. I made the mistake of stabbing the beast once and thinking it was dead." The teen slipped his hair back into place, and his lips lilted back into a nostalgic grin. "Heh, Yazoo always told me to never walk away from an enemy until you were sure it's dead…Hm, Guess I never understood the importance of Brother's words until my head was almost severed off my shoulders."

Aeris flinched and raised a hand over her mouth. The last thing the demi-Cetra wanted to imagine was the body of a semi-decapitated Kadaj bleeding out alone on the dark forest floor.

The teen was grinning softly now, as he took in his Mother's rather horrified reaction. "Yeah…it was sorta a long, bloody battle… But in the end, I still won.." Kadaj boasted happily, while an evilly cute smile morphed across his thin lips. "And 'sides, that dragon fed Yazoo, Loz and me for over a week!"

The brunette's eyes softened and her hand fell back to her side. She couldn't help but smile weakly, as she imagined the three Brothers trying to cook a gigantic dragon over a small log fire, taking turns to turn the spit over. Still…the thought of Kadaj being wounded….sent uncomfortable turns in her stomach.

"But yeah…" the youth scratched the back of his head. "It was only a short time after the dragon incident, might have been a couple of months, maybe a little more, that I had a dream…well…it was not just me….all of the Sanctuary shared the same dream. He called out to us in the night….and it was then that he delivered us a challenge…

'_**Go into the Western forest**_

_**And seek out the White Star.**_

_**Only they who prove their power to me**_

_**Will be granted the secret of their utmost desires.**__**'**_

"Of course I jumped at the opportunity to prove my power to _**Him**_! And although my neck still hurt like a bitch, I was more than ready to prove to all my Brothers and Sisters once again that I was still the best out of them all. So taking only Souba with me, I progressed into the Western forest looking for this Whitestar… Gods you don't know how many days I searched for the damn thing. But unlike the previous times I went into the forest, I knew I was now no longer alone. For many of my Brothers and Sisters had entered the forest as well, lured in by the will of _**His**_ word. But unfortunately, since many did not share my experience with the wild beasts that roamed within, many were forced to flee the forest. For you see Mother, many of my people used materia to fight with. But ah, the problem with materia, is that such magicks are rendered useless against creatures that are immune to all elemental attacks. And guns could not do any damage to beasts with armoured hides. It was for these reasons that many of my Brothers and Sisters were forced to flee the forest.

And as the days passed by…

Eventually, I was the only one left…

And the challenge was finally completed.

I was the victor.

And the _Whitestar_ appeared before me in the air.

When I first saw it, it seemed like nothing special. It looked like a regular piece of materia, cut into the shape of a star. It was only when I touched it, that I soon realised what had been offered to me. The star was actually a key to Sephiroth's inner sanctum. I knew this because the key transported me to the entrance of his temple."

At the thought of that cursed sanctum, Aeris cringed as she envisioned white stones melting into the harshest of blacks.

"Then using the _Whitestar_, I unlocked the door…and stepped inside."

The brunette bit her lip, envisioning the white temple from her memories, and the strange rooms she went through to find **Him**.

"Yeah the temple was so weird….All I could see were fields and fields of white grass and black ponds. I kept moving from room to room, seeing nothing but the same damn thing. Eventually I gave up walking and sat myself down, not really knowing what to do or where to go…I must have sat in the same room for hours…but soon I felt myself growing tired. After all, the trial in the forest had tired me out…so I was only going to allow myself to rest for just a little bit…"

Kadaj moved to lean his back against the edge of the sink, all the while maintaining eye contact with his Mother beside him.

"But then… when I awoke…I saw a man's face leaning over me… When I looked at him, he didn't need to tell me who he was…it was so strange…even though I had never seen his face before….I knew who this man was….And when he told me his name…And held out his hand out for me to take…."

The brunette's eyes shivered with emotion when she envisioned her dark apostate angel, tall and bare-chested, long silvery hair pooling down one muscled shoulder as he stretched out a gloveless hand for the young teen to accept.

"What happened next?" Aeris found herself asking.

"Well," Kadaj drawled out softly. "I accepted Sephiroth's hand, he helped me up, and then we started talking."

The brunette was flexing her hands in dreadful anticipation. "About what?"

The youth folded his arms and tilted his head back in thought. "Umm…I'm not so sure myself. Believe me I didn't understand half the things Sephiroth said. He kept on talking how my will was bound to his. That my desires were primarily his desires. That I was a part of _**Him**_ and thus my dreams were all tied to his. So confusing. Anyways, it was only when he led me to the water that I kinda understood what Sephiroth was trying to tell me…"

'_Oh God__…'_ Aeris felt her own memories flood back to the moment when the dark warrior forced her to watch his torso being torn open in the water. The brunette was almost too afraid to ask the teen "W-what did Sephiroth show you?", nevertheless the youth was eager to answer her.

Kadaj grinned. "Haven't you worked it out yet?"

The brunette blinked and shook her head.

The young teen sent a shy smile at the female beside him. "Sephiroth showed me you."

The demi-Cetra made a small 'O' with her mouth. 'What?' "But.. why?" Aeris voiced weakly.

"You see Sephiroth was fulfilling his promise to the warrior who completed his challenge and found the Whitestar."

Aeris was getting even more confused now.

"You see…Sephiroth told me that he knew I would be the one to find the Whitestar. He just needed to test me to make sure I would be ready for the mission he had planned me to undertake."

"Mission?" Aeris repeated slowly causing the young youth to nod.

"Yes…"

0o0

_**He just wanted me to find you**__**…**_

_**And as he described you**_

**_Who you were to me..._**

_**I finally understood why I felt so incomplete after all this time**_

_**When Sephiroth described you to me.**_

_**It made me realise what I was lacking**__**…**_

_**What my conscious had always desired**__**…**__**.**_

_**A Mother...**_

_**0o0**_

"Sephiroth...He put his hand into the water…And then the image shifted around us. The first time I saw you Mother, you looked so sad…You were curled up on a bed…In this dreary old house…In a broken down room-"

_'He must have seen me in the Shinra Mansion.' _Aeris thought nervously, as she remembered the cruel and lonely nights that she had cried herself to sleep, while the gentle lullaby of a sombre piano, played by a crimson-cloaked gunman filtered through the still air.

"-and you were crying. Sephiroth explained to me that you wept only because you were alone…You had desired to attend the Reunion to be with the rest of us…but your fear of death prevented you from reaching our Sanctuary…And as I watched you in the water crying… I couldn't explain why…or how…..but I felt…I felt so connected with you… It was as if in that moment…all your tears had somehow became my own…" Kadaj paused then, as he raised trembling fingers to his own face, feeling his own eyes go damp as he remembered how his body reacted the first time he saw the brown haired angel. "Watching you cry...made me cry...and..I could not understand it. You see Mother..I rarely cry for myself, let alone for another...but as I watched you...it felt so natural to cry with you. It felt so right. It was as if I knew you, and your feelings were my own. And that was when I realised my prayers had been finally answered. "

Kadaj stepped forward then, his eyes oddly serious and yet his lips were still shyly smiling.

"Mother…" Kadaj voiced softly. "I want you to know, that when I'm with you… I feel something here," the teen took one of the brunette's hands and pressed it palm down over his loud, palpitating heart. "I feel everything I need from you here….and that's why Mother, that's why I wouldn't care…I wouldn't care if this entire world blew up and died all around me... I wouldn't care if everything ceased to exist and everything else were to wither away….for as long as I have you Mother….nothing else matters to me…no-one else matters…" Kadaj leant his head on the brunette's shoulder. "And that is why I _love_ you Mother…I love _only_ you."

0o0

From his words, emerald eyes dilated in surprise.

Aeris' fingers shook with violent emotion.

"!"

The flower maiden knew that these were not words born from the love of a son to his Mother…

No these words…

These words….

Were words born from a different kind of love.

A _forbidden_ kind of love…

'…_no…oh no-no…_'

The instant Aeris felt the nervous touch of lips trailing a gentle path of kisses across her throat, the brunette violently pushed the teen away from her, grasping at her neck as if she had been bitten by a viper.

Kadaj stumbled back. Surprise was written on his features, which quickly morphed into hurt…then fear….and then an all consuming terror. His Mother was no longer looking at him, and it concerned the teen how the brunette held her hand against her neck as if she had suffered a bee sting to her throat instead of an innocent kiss. "M-_mother_!" the teen began in a frightened voice, very close to tears himself. "P-p-please let me explain…I'm sorry if my words hurt or upset you...I only wanted to tell you the truth…it was never in my intention to make you mad or upset…So Please Mother…please don't cry…I'm so sorry to have angered you. If...If it would make you feel any better, I promise never to kiss you like that again. Just…please…please don't be upset with me Mother, and please don't cry…" the teen paused, as he hitched a tearful breath and tried to hide his wet eyes behind his long, pale bangs. "Because like I told you earlier..when you cry Mother….it makes me want to cry too," the teen admitted with a very noticeable crack to his voice. Kadaj turned his head away and brought a quivering hand over his own face. His entire body was trembling in fear. Deep down the youth knew he had crossed an unspeakable line, Kadaj was afraid what it could have meant, but he knew there was no going back.

A pregnant silence continued.

And the teen waited nervously for his Mother's answer.

"Kadaj p-please, c-can you leave me alone for a moment?" his Mother's voice wavered eventually.

"….M-mother?" The teen hissed tearfully, biting his hand to hold back a sob. It was as he feared. His Mother no longer wanted him. The line had been crossed and now she wanted nothing to do with him. "C-can I s-still wait outside the door for you?" Kadaj all but begged weakly. The youth knew his voice had long since broken. But Kadaj knew only his Mother had the power to stir such intense emotions in his heart.

Aeris moved a hand from her neck and rubbed her tired face. She did not trust her voice to speak so she nodded feebly.

"..Oo-k," Kadaj murmured nervously, as he began to slowly back away towards the entrance of the restroom. "I-I'll be waiting o-outside here for you…ok?"

The brunette nodded again, tiredly rubbing at her face and eyes.

Listening to the teen's quiet footfalls across the white, cold tiles, Aeris heard the teen approach open the door before pausing at the entrance.

"M-mother?" Kadaj squeaked hesitantly, causing the red eyed Cetra to turn her gaze from the mirror to look at nervous youth, who had his back facing her.

"W-what is it?" Aeris asked quietly.

"_**I-I love you.**__**"**_

The door swung shut with a semi-muted click.

And the flower maiden despaired.

"Oh _Kadaj_…" Aeris whispered brokenly as she stared in the direction that the teen had just left.

Things were becoming much too complicated .

Raking her hands through her dishevelled hair, Aeris turned her gaze back towards her reflection, all the while trying to forget the warmth of the teen's lips on her naked skin. The connection of _**Him **_was coming back to her. Everything that was wrong and taboo seemed to always be connected with _**Him.**_

The brunette clenched her fingers around the basin of the sink. The leather of her digits contrasted with the whiteness of the cold porcelain beneath her fingertips. The contrast of the colours made her feel ill with the memories of _**Him **_and herself. Aeris knew that when she compared herself with _**Him**_, she knew they had always been so different. Too different…

0o0

"_And that is why I have to do this__…_

_That is why I must follow Gaia__'__s path of light__…_

_For if I don__'__t__…_

_I will never be able to escape this madness__…"_

_0o0_

Aeris sighed, and leant her head forward into the sink. She knew would only allow herself a short moment to be alone. A short moment just to think of _**Him**_…and what he once meant to her, and she to _**Him**_. What could have been…And what will never be…Just for a moment… just a short moment…

0o0o0o0o0

_**Whew, going to leave it there. Hope you guys enjoyed reading this big whopper of a chapter. Gods it was a little draining what with the up and down rhythm of emotions happening between Aer, Kad and Yaz. Lol x I kind of wanted to bring up unsettling emotions in regard of the K/A theme and also add a bit more of Kadaj's history to the narrative. Hope I sort of achieved it...ish.**_

_**Hmmm I wonder if anyone has any ideas where this SHM/A theme is going. There is a reason why Kadaj feels a certain way towards Aeris. If anyone who knows and loves Naraku from Inuyasha, they will most likely see how the connection between Seph/Aer and Yaz/Aer/Kad is quite similar to the Onigumo/Kikyo, Naraku/Kikyo relationship. Anywho things can only get more disturbing between Y/A/K now…Hmm….I**__**'**__**m both excited and nervous to see where the next chapter takes me x lol x**_

_**Anywho let me know what you think guys, and I will try to upload the next chapter as soon as I can.**_

_**Have a nice day!**_

_**Xau x**_

_**Aerseph4eva xx**_

_**1) Just a reference to a fantastic Shiva cosplayer that can be seen on you tube. If you haven't seen this woman dance, go look it up. Her name is Amira. X**_


	5. Enduring Love

_**To Love an Ancient 3: The Last Seven Days: An Aeris and Sephiroth Finale.**_

_**Words 6583**_

_**Pages 18**_

_**Chapter 5:Enduring Love **_

_**Disclaimer**_

_**Author's Notes**_

**First of all guys, I need to offer you all a valid explanation for my really, really, **_**really**_** tardy update. Long story short, my laptop died over four mths ago, and in the process, I lost all my TLAA3 notes. Believe me, it was quite a traumatic experience for me to go through. **_**Sniffles**_**. But oh well….que cera cera. If I wrote this chapter once, I know for sure that I can write it again! Ugh…**

**Anywho, as for the chosen name for this chapter, believe it or not, I was not intentionally trying to promote my love for Ian Mc-Ewan. Lol, Instead I was trying to give reference to the way Aeris has to cope with Kadaj's possessive feelings for her. Nevertheless, if anyone is interested in reading Mc-Ewan's Enduring Love, feel free to give it a try, as the book is so much better than the film.**

**Anywho, Musical Muses For Today**

**Go on youtube and subscribe to MusicHealsUrSoul. That's all I've been listening to ever since I started rewriting this rollercoaster of a chapter. **

**Anywho enough of my ramblings, and on with the fic!**

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

Aeris knew she could not lock herself away forever. When she eventually found the courage within herself to exit the female restroom, she was unsurprised to find a certain silver haired youth standing three meek steps away from the door. The brunette sighed deeply to herself, and her jaw tightened uneasily when bright mako orbs met shy, hesitant green.

'_Oh Gods... I'm so not ready to face this.'_

From the first moment that Aeris had set eyes on the strange, enigmatic youth known as Kadaj, Aeris had always sensed something rather uncanny about him. She was always aware of Kadaj's unsettling familiarity to _**Him**_, which went beyond the long silver locks, and the iridescent green eyes. However, as much as this strange, unique connection to _**Him**_ was sometimes a little daunting as it was sometimes a little frightening, even now, Aeris could admit to herself, that she had never once needed to properly fear the childlike swordsman. For when his wide, innocent eyes locked onto her own, Aeris realised right from the beginning that the only shades of emotion which ever glimmered in them were not born of an ill will, but instead of an innate innocence, an innocence which could only be found within the eyes of a child.

'_But now.' _Aeris thought worriedly.

'_These eyes…'_

'_These aren't child eyes…'_

'…_No…these are…'_

Unlike before, the innocent spectrum of emotion that Aeris used to associate with Kadaj seemed strangely absent. Instead, the teen's gaze seemed darker, the hue less vibrant, and the stare all the more sullen. The brunette swallowed nervously. Ever since Aeris had known Kadaj, she had never once seen him stare at her with these foreign eyes; eyes which had the power to unsettle her right down to her very core.

And then the young warrior moved.

The demi-Cetra flinched, and her whole body awkwardly froze. Her half dazed eyes watched in silent apprehension as Kadaj's gloveless hands reached out helplessly towards her…

0o0

'_**Mother…**_

_**I wouldn't care if everything ceased to exist…**_

_**Or everything else were to wither away….**_

_**For as long as I have you Mother….**_

_**Nothing else matters to me…no-one else matters**_

_**And that is why I love you Mother…I love only you.'**_

0o0

At the remembrance of Kadaj's dark, empowered vow, the demi-Cetra recoiled back in horror. Fear and guilt welled up in her eyes, as she watched how the teen stilled almost completely before her. His long, pale fingers froze instantly in midair, while his large glowing orbs stretched themselves open to their full frightened capacity.

'_Oh Kadaj…' _Aeris breathed painfully to herself. The teen's wide eyed distress was truly an upsetting sight to see. And so the flower-girl averted her eyes. She had to avert them to the side. Aeris could not bear to see this young, beautiful warrior gazing at her with so much pain… and with so much need for love….

'_I'm sorry Kadaj…_

_I'm so very sorry…'_

A tearful smile trembled itself across the flower maiden's lower lip.

'_But…_

_This is the only way to stop __**Him**_

_In order to fight against __**His **__madness._

_I must look beyond the life I have now._

_And focus only on the path that fate has granted me…'_

As Aeris lost herself within the darkening madness of her untimely future, a certain wide eyed teen continued to observe her silent form ever so nervously. "_M-Mother?" _Kadaj voiced carefully, as he stared anxiously at his Mother's retreated expression, her soft downcast eyes, and her gaze devoid of all hope and life. The young warrior's eyes wavered softly. To Kadaj, his Mother's dull, saturnine eyes did not seem to suit her face at all, and yet the teen did not know what to do, nor what to say, to bring the former loving light back into his Mother's deep, green eyes. And so the youth remained helplessly still, while his lips remained pursed with silence. And as Kadaj continued to watch the sad, silent maiden, his anxieties began to heighten….and his inner fears began to self-consciously rise.

_0o0_

'_**Mother…?**_

_**Why do you remain silent Mother?**_

_**Was it my words…?**_

_**No…**_

_**Was it my love… **_

_**That caused you to withdraw yourself from me?**_

_**But Mother…?**_

_**I d-don't understand…**_

_**You…you told me once before that you loved me..**_

…_**..**_

_**Unless…**_

_**Your words were a lie…?**_

_**!**_

_**B-but…**_

_**You wouldn't lie to me Mother…**_

_**Would you?'**_

0o0

The teen's eyes flashed at that last horrific thought.

'_Would you?'_

"Mother…?" the young warrior repeated nervously, as his lower lip trembled outwards in growing despair.

Kadaj in that moment was begging to be consoled. He knew he needed to be comforted. He needed to see the familiar warmth in his Mother's eyes once more. He needed to hear her reassuring words of love and light. '_But_…' The young swordsman swallowed uneasily. _'I'm too afraid to vocalise my inner fears out aloud.'_

"_M_-_M-Mother_…?" The young warrior repeated again, as he hitched out a short, yet very nervous breath.

But the flower-maiden did not answer him.

"….."

As the silent seconds continued to tick on between the pair, Kadaj came to his own reasoning that his heartfelt fears were now the inherent truth. So, within that very frightful realisation, bright tears brimmed the young warrior's eyes. Then ever so slowly, Kadaj shakily withdrew his outstretched hands from the air. One of his hands instinctively moved to cover his paling face, while the other protectively cradled itself around his lower torso. Bile and fear were creating a rather toxic combination of sickness in his stomach, making the young warrior feel so violently ill.

And yet….

Despite the warrior's emotional distress, growing deep within his body, the young male tearfully forced himself to speak his next few words. Words which he could not defy to himself, as either truth or lie.

"I-It's a-alright M-Mother…," Kadaj reassured the mute demi-Cetra weakly, even as his own eyes began to grow damp with grief. "You k-k-now, it's okay if you don't l-o-ove me…it's o-o-k…You…you don't have to worry…I-I don't…I don't…really mind…" Kadaj had to pause for a moment, as the hand he held across his face began to spasm erratically. "Y-you n-needn't have to worry…It's not like…it's not like…I expect you to need me… like I need y-you." The teen paused again. Tears were already clotting the back of his throat, and the youth fought the urge to whimper out aloud. "B-be-because M-Mo-Mother…A-all I e-ever want….a-all I e-ever need in my life….is y-your happiness…S-s-o…w-whatever you may think, o-or f-feel f-for me, p-p-please d-don't be afraid to say it. And p-please, p-please don't f-feel the need to e-ever l-lie to me M-M-Mo-Mother…B-b-because whatever you s-say to me… I will…I will a-a-always accept." The teen's fingers were now moving a spidery trail of fright across his pale features. "For e-even if you h-h-hate me n-n-now M-mother…Or e-e-ven d-d-despise m-m-me f-f-or b-being t-t-his n-n-near t-t-to you…I-I d-don't m-m-mind…"The teen's left hand was now moving across one side of his cheek, his short nails digging into his skin, just below his left eye, momentarily deforming the features of his handsome face, whilst revealing a barely concealed madness born only from his desperate need for love. "B-because I s-s-still l-l-love you M-mother…." Kadaj admitted quietly. The teen's voice had now shifted down to little more than a trembling whisper, whilst his pale fingers continued to clench and spasm violently against his left cheek. "A-a-and no matter what you m-m-may say…or what you m-may do…I-I…still l-l-love you M-m-mother…I…I…w-will _a-a-always_ l-l-l-ove y-y-y-ou-" It was in that moment, that the young warrior gave into the grief that was rapidly consuming his heart. And so, raising his other quivering hand over his now concealed face, the young shaking warrior, slowly and ever so shakily bowed his head into his palms…

And _cried _his little heart out…

0o0

"!"

0o0

From the young teen's first heartfelt sob, the darkness which had trapped the brunette's heart in shadow, momentarily faded, if only for a moment. But one moment was all that was needed for Aeris to take notice of Kadaj's violently shaking form, the clenched fingers against his cheeks, and the thin trails of blood currently bleeding through the narrow cracks of his fingers. "!" At the sight of that all too familiar, violent colour, the demi Cetra's spirit jolted to life. Without fully realising what she was doing, Aeris instinctively moved herself towards the tortured teen. As she raised a steady palm towards the boy's wounded face, the flower maiden's eyes began to throb a soft ephemeral green. As the healing light in her eyes began to expand slowly, Aeris gently cradled her fingers over the teen's clenched hands.

And then she felt '_it'_.

A foreign pulse of energy surged out from her abdominal core, down her arms, through her hands, and out of her palms..

*_**Flash**_*

When the light in the demi-Cetra's hands inevitably faded away, and the crimson colour on the teen's face dissipated into a near forgotten memory, the brunette ever so carefully used her gloved hands to pry the teen's white clenched fingers away from his down-turned face, so she could properly assess him for any further injuries.

"Kadaj…are you alright?" Aeris voiced carefully, as she moved the teen's silvery hair from her line of vision.

The youth did not answer her. Instead, a single tear slipped out of his left tear duct, to make a sad, silent trail down his smooth, left cheek. From that single action, the brunette's heart crumpled in her chest. In an instant, the flower maiden instinctively brought her arms up and around the trembling boy, and passionately crushed him against her breast.

"Sssh Kadaj, don't cry, no, please don't cry…everything will be alright," Aeris reassured the still trembling youth, as she unconsciously rocked his lean form against her own body. "Ssh… Everything will be alright now…" the flower maiden repeated softly. "I promise you that on my life," she finished quietly, before dipping her head downwards, and bestowing a soft, gentle kiss upon the teen's pale brow.

0o0

"-!"

0o0

The young warrior's eyes bulged and pale lips parted open in surprise. But other than those two silent actions, Kadaj's body remained void of all action and sound. All the young warrior could focus on, was his Mother's kind and loving words; her warm embrace, and her all too gentle lips as they humbly kissed his brow. The teen's vision blurred with tearful emotion, as he indulged in the love currently surrounding him, protecting him from all thoughts of fear and darkness, and instilling his soul with feelings born only of warmth and light.

"_Oh_ _M-Mother_," Kadaj whispered shyly against the comfort of his Mother's chest, pausing only for a moment to choke back new tears when Aeris lovingly tightened her grip around him. "I'm sorry Mother. I'm so sorry for upsetting you and angering you earlier," the teen sniffled quietly, as he dipped his head downwards, refusing to look his concerned Mother in the eye. "I think I now understand why I've always been so unworthy of your love Mother….It's because I've always been such a nuisance to you, and I don't blame you if you hate me now because I-"

"Look at me Kadaj," the brunette interrupted gently.

The young teen did so without question.

Bright emerald met nervous chartreuse green.

Aeris smiled weakly down at the still tearful warrior. "Now tell me Kadaj, do you see any anger in my eyes? Or hate?"

The young warrior's eyes wavered weakly, as he shyly shook his head in a slow, calm negative.

"You see," the flower maiden began softly. "You have nothing to worry about Kadaj. For I can tell you now, that I certainly do not hate you. I don't think I could never hate you-"

_0o0_

'_After all, the only person I could ever hate in life now… _

_Is myself…_

_For I have failed __**Him**__.'_

_0o0._

"B-but I don't understand Mother," Kadaj continued to Aeris, interrupting her darkening thoughts. "…Wasn't I?…wasn't I the one who upset you earlier? When I spoke to you in the restroom…? Wasn't I the one who made you cry?"

Even though the teen's words were not spoken with the intention of humour, Aeris felt a weak bubble of laughter rise within her body. Kadaj stared up at the brunette in mild shock, unable to comprehend why his Mother's eyes were now twinkling down at him so fondly, when mere moments ago her gaze had been so strangely void of light.

The demi Cetra kindly shook her head at the confused, young warrior. "No Kadaj, I was never mad at you," Aeris remarked in her most surest of tones, feeling quite motherly as she lifted a hand to part the top of the teen's silvery brow. She smiled vaguely as she gazed deep into the shy, damp eyes peeping up at her from beneath. "And I will repeat it again and again, until you finally understand that what I say is the truth. Kadaj, I could never hate you. I will _**never**_ ever hate you. I'd sooner hate every species of flower on this Planet before ever hating you."

Kadaj blinked, momentarily puzzled by the bold words of his Mother. "B-b-but…I don't understand…I thought…. You told me….. you liked…flowers?" The teen began in a slow, confused tone.

"I do silly," Aeris laughed gently, as she teasingly flicked the tip of the teen's nose. "In fact Kadaj, when I lived back in Midgar-" The brunette paused for one moment, as she gazed past the youth in her arms, looking past the pale walls of the empty hallway, to reminisce about a time that seemed so long ago….a time when life seemed so much more simpler. A time when her most truest of joys came from tending her small patch of flowers that were secretly nestled in the slums. "In Midgar Kadaj-" Aeris continued on softly "-flowers were once my only source of life. During my childhood, flowers were one of the only things that could truly make me smile….. But now-"

_**0o0**_

_**After everything I have seen, and everything I have experienced, **_

_**I have learnt so much about the workings of my own inner heart.**_

_**And in the past….**_

_**When I did not possess the strength to believe in myself.**_

_**To fight…**_

_**Or even to die…**_

_**It was in that moment of crisis**_

_**That you came into my life…**_

_**You came and gave my life reason Kadaj**_

_**You came and gave me hope…**_

_**And as I gaze into your eyes Kadaj…**_

_**I see everything that I love and cherish in this world…**_

_**And it is only because of you Kadaj…**_

_**That I have found the strength within myself to fight Him…**_

_**For no matter what happens to this world,**_

_**I won't let Sephiroth hurt you Kadaj.**_

_**I'll **__**die**__** before I let anyone try and hurt you.**_

**0o0**

The flower maiden released a steady sigh of breath, as she continued to look beyond the boy in her arms.

"But now," Aeris repeated softly, as her eyes took on a more sensitive hue. "I could happily sacrifice every memory I have had of my garden in Midgar-"

The flower maiden's gaze momentarily flickered back towards the teen in her arms.

"For you are now my life now Kadaj."

"I'm…your life?" Large mako eyes widened, and pale lips parted in awe. Kadaj in that moment was too afraid to comprehend…to let alone believe that what he heard from Aeris was the inherent truth…

And yet the demi-Cetra continued on.

"And you may not realise this Kadaj…." the flower maiden stated softly, even as unwanted images of her grisly future began to materialise into the surface of her thoughts. Images which had the power to damage her fragile ego, and descend her heart and soul within the deepest bowels of madness. '_I must be strong.'_

"Realise what Mother?" Kadaj echoed slowly, as his large, doe like orbs flittered upwards in nervous anticipation.

"How much I truly _love you_."

"!" From that single verbal truth, new tears glistened in the young warrior's lashes. Aeris watched with motherly fondness as Kadaj submissively dipped his face downwards into her leather jacket, in a shy attempt to conceal the watery pleasure in his eyes.

"I-I love you too Mother," the teen admitted softly against his Mother's pale clavicle.

'_And_ _I will always love you…_

_For nothing could keep me away from you. _

_I will always be yours Mother…_

_As you will always be mine…_

_Mine, mine, mine, mine, mine….'_

Kadaj's hands, which were once idle of action and motion, began to slowly creep around the demi-Cetra's lean form. However the moment his pale fingers began to stretch across the expanse of Aeris' lower back, the demi-Cetra began to carefully withdraw herself from his embrace.

'_**No**__!' _The teen's hands suddenly clamped down and around the brunette's waist like a thick, iron vice. _'No! Don't let me go Mother_! _I need to feel you with me…just like this…always like this!'_

"!" The brunette gasped, and alarmed eyes looked downwards at the young face currently crushed up against her chest.

'_Please Mother…Please don't let me go,' _Kadaj's tearful eyes seemed to beg up at her.

The flower maiden swallowed nervously.

'_Please Kadaj…_

_Don't…._

_Don't stare at me with eyes like that…'_

Aeris tried to tug the teen off her to no avail. "Come on Kadaj, lets head back to the bar ," Aeris offered carefully to the pale warrior, as she tried to pull herself free from his strong embrace and his haunting stare. However when the youth tightened his grip around her form, it quickly became clear to Aeris, that Kadaj had no intention of _ever_ letting her go.

The flower maiden worriedly furrowed her brow. "Kadaj…," Aeris repeated softly, as she tried to tug herself free once again. "We should head back now. After all, we've both kept Yazoo waiting for quite some time now. He might be getting a little worried about the both of us if we stay here any longer."

"Yazoo?" The teen's brow frowned slightly. "Worried?" The swordsman's pale grip began to loosen ever so slightly around the brunette's waist.

'_That's it.'_ Aeris smiled inwardly to herself. "Well isn't that the role of the Big Brother-" the brunette continued on gently. "-to worry about you, his little Brother?"

"Humph." Kadaj made a small sound of disagreement in the back of his throat. "The only thing that Yazoo cares about, is himself."

"Well I'm sure that is far from true," Aeris answered softly, as she tried to gently wriggle herself out of the teen's grip, to no further avail.

"And I'm _not_ little," Kadaj continued on in a small pouting tone, as he withdrew his grip from his Mother's small waist, so he could make a grab for her wrists instead. Now holding Aeris' hands on either side of her body, Kadaj stretched himself on his tip toes, so he was now the exact height as the brunette standing before him. "See Mother, I'm as tall as you now," the youth smiled cheekily, as he gazed deep into his Mother's wide eyes, admiring each long lash, and every effeminate freckle.

Aeris could not help but shake her head at the teen.. "That may be so Kadaj…but does that mean you're going to let me go now?"

"Let you go?" Kadaj repeated innocently, as he unconsciously _tightened_ his pale fingers around his Mother's wrists.

"_Kadaj_…" Aeris warned in a slightly sterner tone, sending the young warrior a rather pointed look. But the young warrior returned her mild frown with a sweet, white toothed smile. "Sorry Mother," Kadaj apologised kindly, as he obediently removed his right hand from the brunette's left wrist.

"And what about your other hand Kadaj?" Aeris added softly.

"Hm?" The young warrior weakly frowned to himself, before relaxing the grip of his left hand, so he could slide his pale digits down his Mother's right wrist and grasp her gloved fingers within his own.

"I think I will keep my hand here Mother," Kadaj answered warmly. "Just in case you might ever find a need for it."

The demi-Cetra softly shook her head at the young warrior. "Silly thing," Aeris admonished Kadaj lightly, yet she nevertheless allowed him to keep his hand around her own.

By his Mother's silent acceptance of his hand, Kadaj's eyes were once again filled with the same fervent warmth that Aeris had always came to associate with the exuberant swordsman.

"So are you ready to go back to Brother now Mother?" Kadaj asked Aeris, with a kind, gentle smile lilting his mouth.

Aeris weakly nodded in gentle agreement, as her hand unconsciously tightened their grip around the younger teen's. "Yes Kadaj. Let's go."

When Kadaj and Aeris eventually found themselves back inside the dark, crowded Shiva bar, the leather clad pair were both surprised to find a certain silver haired companion surprisingly absent from their table, as well as Kadaj's inventory bag, their earlier ordered drinks and Kadaj's prized Souba as well.

"!"

Before Kadaj had time to pause and panic over his missing dual-blade and inventory kit, the leather clad pair were promptly greeted by a rather friendly moustached waiter, who politely guided the pair across the busy bar, through another threshold, and into a brightly lit room full of occupied tables lined up in long, neat rows. Just like the bar previous, there was a presentation stage on the far side of the restaurant, where a small string band of musicians added to the soothing ambiance of the room. As the brunette's wide, green eyes flitted around the many sights of the dining area, from the happy families dining with their children, and a mixed variety of young couples sharing warm toasts with each other, Aeris soon realised something most worrying.

'_Yazoo? Why can't I find Yazoo?'_

"This way miss."

Turning wide eyes back towards the bushy faced waiter, Aeris was quite surprised to find him standing near a silver spiral stairway towards the left corner of the room. _'Oh…. never noticed those stairs there.'_ Realising that the older man had been patiently waiting for her to follow him, the brunette quickly complied, with Kadaj following her obediently in tow.

"Your companion should be at the top of these stairs," the waiter explained kindly when Aeris finally reached his side. He pointed to the top of the fifteen foot spiral stairway. "Oh and when you get to the top, if you look to your right hand side, your table should be four tables down. Number 139."

"Oh. Thank you ever so much." Aeris answered politely, bowing her gratitude towards the kind waiter, before gesturing Kadaj to follow her up the long winding stairway.

0o0

When the leather clad pair finally reached the top of the stairs, Aeris quickly noticed how the second floor was set out in a very similar layout to the floor below. However unlike the ground floor, the first floor had a smaller arrangement of seating. First looking to her far left hand side where a long table was covered with a colourful array of buffet food, and then eventually to her right, the flower maiden's eyes glimmered with genuine relief when she caught sight of a very familiar, silver haired gunman sitting only four empty tables down from the stairway. '_Just like the waiter had promised'_. The demi-Cetra smiled to herself, and was about to move towards Yazoo's table, until she realised something quite unusual about Kadaj's older Brother.

Yazoo was not sitting at the table alone.

_**o0o0o0o0o0o0o**_

_**Hell**_.

He was in hell.

Yazoo could think of no other name for it.

It felt like more than thirty minutes had passed since Kadaj had left him in the bar alone. However, the moment his Brother had left him to find Aeris, Yazoo had been quite literally pushed out of his seat and forced into a new room not of his own accord, by the same stupid, prissy blonde who was currently standing by him now, chattering about every nonsensical thing about the damned Planet that Yazoo could not care less to even think about.

"_**And then on Sophie's 16**__**th **__**Birthday, she asked to borrow my 6 inchers cos her father refused to let her have her own pair 'til she was at least 17... And of course me being the swell gal that I am, I let her have mine because that's what best friends do. She steals my things and I steal hers, like one time she had this really cute Tonberry shirt…"**_

'_Will you just shut. the. hell. up,' _the gunman groaned internally to himself, while his hands, which were still secretly hidden underneath the table, tightly clenched themselves around the safety catch of his Velvet Nightmare..

"_**-and then she was telling me about her date with her ex at the Gold Saucer, and all the cute things you can buy in the memorabilia shop there.."**_

'_Should I silence her permanently by taking her life? But to do that now would mean that every damned human in this room would be aware of my kill…' _

"_**-and I soo can't believe how they give out tissues as prices for the losers in the Battle Square Arena. Come on, what is the use of a silly tissue, other than to blow your nose or mop up your sweat or-"**_

"…." The gunman idly rubbed his temples, and tried to mentally will the waitress before him to disappear out of sight, to no avail.

"eheheehe!-and that is why I hate working here on weekdays and hmm, you really are the quiety sort of guy, aren't you," Rio giggled out in a high, chirpy tone, leaning even closer to the disturbed and visibly flustered gunman. "Well you needn't act so shy around me honey. I only want to get to know you a little better." The blonde proved her statement by plonking herself down in the seat adjacent to Yazoo, folding her arms, planting her pointed chin above them both, and focusing every ounce of her undivided attention on the exceptionally attractive male seated beside her. "And sides love, you really need to tell me what make of eyelashes you are wearing now, because they look so absolutely real. They def' look so much better than the ones I've been wearing today. Like the ones I'm wearing now, I dunno why but my right one always keeps on getting loose, like earlier on today, one fell into a soup I was serving for this really fat guy. Lucky for me I had a spare lash to glue back on, cos I couldn't fish the other one out of the soup in time. Thankfully, the customer was none the wis-."

"Haven't you got work to do?" Yazoo interrupted Rio in a dry, dismal tone, not even bothering to look the disgusting girl in the eye.

"Work?" The blonde blinked, surprised that the warrior had finally spoken to her after half an hour of complete silence. '_Oh yeah! He's finally opening up!_' "Oh Hahahaha. No-no hun. I finished my shift about forty five minutes ago," Rio answered impishly, whilst flicking one long blonde lock over her shoulder. "But if you really want to know the truth…" the blonde continued on, as her dark indigo eyes lowered downwards into a demure act of sugar sweet innocence. "I decided to do a little bit of overtime tonight…for a very special customer of course…"

'_That special customer better not be me_…' Yazoo mentally groused to himself.

"Anywho babe, you still haven't told me your name," the girl continued on in a high whiny pitch.

'_And I have no intention in letting you know.' _

Rio pouted at the gunman's silence. Nevertheless, Rio was still not deterred. "Alright then you sexy silver mystery, if you can't give me a name, can't you give me a number instead?" Rio pleaded in her most sweetest and highest pitched tone, as her notepad and pen quite literally materialised out of nowhere, and into her hand.

"….." The gunman closed his eyes, wishing more than anything that he could close off his hearing, as easily as he could close off his vision. _"…_…six," Yazoo muttered eventually, as he leant his jaw against his gloved knuckles. Boredom was much more preferable than listening to this foolish, irritating simpleton.

Rio eagerly penned the single digit down, before eagerly waiting for the next number to slip from the gunman's pale lips. '_Huh_?' The blonde blinked in mild bemusement when the handsome male fell silent once more.

"Oh…and the rest handsome?"

"You asked me to give you a number. I gave you one," the warrior muttered through hard, gritted teeth, refusing to open his eyes and stare at the disgusting nuisance seated beside him.

Despite the gunman's, disinterested reply, his dry, droll tone had the hyper female bawling out in unstoppable laughter. "Ahahahaha! You have a sense of humour too, oh that's wonderful," Rio exclaimed in a loud boisterous giggle, leaning forward in her seat, and further annoying the pale warrior to no end. "So tell me then funny guy, what do you like doing for fun? What kind of girls do you like? You like girls right?"

Instinctively, Yazoo's right hand tightened it's grip around the full width of his Velvet Nightmare.

"Awww, tell me hunny," Rio pushed on. "Don't be shy around Rio. Come on, tell Rio about your most deepest and darkest fantasies."

"Fantasies…" Yazoo mumbled distantly to himself, as a unbidden image of dusky pink nipples and wide, horrified eyes came back to assault his near faultless memory.

'_Aeris_…'

Suddenly, mako eyes snapped open to their full alert capacity. Yazoo immediately locked his acute warrior's stare towards the top of the winding stairway. Less than three seconds later, the gunman caught sight of two black leathered forms, a flash of his Brother's trademark hair, and the familiar long swish of a certain brown haired braid ascending up the stairway.

'_Finally_…' the gunman sighed softly to himself.

_**!-Poke-!**_

Instinctively, gloved hands moved, and narrowed eyes flashed a violent mako gleam. Before Rio could squeak out a small, startled yelp, Yazoo tightened one of his gloved fists around the digit that had just assaulted his person, and then he _squeezed_. _Hard_.

'_Do. Not. Touch. Me. Again.' _The words were not spoken, and yet the intensity of the gunman's violent glare spoke all that needed to be said aloud.

"Owwwy!" Rio winced sharply, as she tried to pull her fingers away from the glowering gunman to no avail. "Okay-okay, I get it. I get it. You're one of those 'I don't like being touched without permission' sort of guys. Well sorry 'bout the small mishap but can you please let go of my hand. Cos you're actually kinda hurting me."

'_That is the intention moron,'_ Yazoo thought cruelly, as he calmly released her finger, and casually withdrew his hand back beneath the table.

The moment her finger was freed, Rio withdrew the injured digit to her body and cradled it protectively against her chest. "N-now t-that wasn't very nice," Rio responded in a surprised voice, tinged tightly with pain. "Don't you realise that all ladies are delicate. You can't just go around squeezing other people's hands like that."

"…" The gunman calmly shrugged his shoulders at her. _'Then don't touch me. Idiot.'_

"Owwy." Rio continued to whine aloud, as she popped the small, injured digit into her mouth. "And I so didn't deserve any of your heavy manhandling either…It wasn't like I asked you a really offensive question or anything…I only asked what you liked to do for fun." the blonde sulked aloud, as she continued to noisily suck on her finger. "Guess you're one of those crazies who's into the rough sort of play eh?"

"…" Yazoo did not answer Rio, for his warrior's attention had returned back to the stairway. Yazoo watched as Aeris panned her gaze around the tabled room.

"_**Hey hun, why aren't you listening to me?"**_

'_Ifrit damn it, just get lost!'_ Irritated mako green snapped back towards the blonde he had conveniently forgotten about at his side.

"You still didn't answer my question from before," Rio continued to sulk aloud.

'_What the hell is the fool talking about now.'_ Yazoo glared back at her. "What question?"

"I only want to know what things you like," the blonde finished with a mild pout, whilst continuing to slurp noisily on her long, index finger.

'_I'd like you to find a corner, crawl into it, and die.' _Yazoo thought wearily. Just as the warrior was about to speak the same barbed words out loud, the gunman had a slight epiphany.

'_Hn…Maybe I can use this girl's foolishness to my advantage.'_

"You want to know what I like girl?" Yazoo voiced quietly to Rio, as the corners of his thin lips began to lilt into the beginnings of a soft, yet mildly suggestive smile. "Then come closer to me."

Rio blinked sharply in surprise. "Eh?"

The gunman shrugged indifferently, as he flickered his gaze away from the blonde at his side, to idly focus on the delicate array of glassware on the table. "Hn, if you don't wish to know what I like, then fine, go away and leave me be," the gunman remarked in a calm and disinterested voice.

"No! No! I really want to know!" Rio cried out in a really high pitched tone, causing the gunman to wince quite sharply, due to his all too sensitive hearing. The blonde leaned even closer towards him.

The gunman momentarily flickered his gaze back towards the occupied stairway.

Realising that _**her**_ eyes were now him, the pale warrior smirked inwardly to himself. Pivoting his attention back towards the indigo eyed Rio, Yazoo took no time to think as he quickly leant forward, clamped one hand around the brunette's nearest wrist and whispered inside the shell of the waitress's small, round ear.

"What I find enjoyable…" Yazoo began quietly, "is-…"

0o0

"!"

0o0

Aeris had no idea what Yazoo had whispered to the blonde. But whatever was said, had caused the female waitress to quite literally throw herself away from Yazoo, away from his table, and straight towards Aeris and Kadaj.

"Eight… seven, six." Rio muttered aloud, as she passed the leather clad duo, before disappearing down the spiral stairway, and straight out of sight.

"Eh?" Aeris blinked sharply, her eyes remaining wide as saucers, as her gaze moved from the bottom of the stairway in mute confusion, before returning back to the table, where a certain long haired gunman was ever so _pleasantly_ _smiling, _at her!

The brunette did a double take.

'_Eh? What…just happened? _

'_And why is Yazoo looking at me like that?'_

Aeris was woken up from her confusion by an innocent tug of Kadaj's arm, who kindly drew her away from the stairway, past the few empty tables, and towards his enigmatic Brother, whose gaze had now returned back to cutlery on the table, although the smile tugging his lips strangely remained..

"You really do have a way with women Brother," Kadaj eventually acknowledged Yazoo with a slightly twisted smile, as he removed his hand from his Mother's side, so he could pull out a chair for her to sit on.

"For you Mother," the teen offered her in his most politest tone.

Aeris smiled briefly with thanks at the teen before sitting down opposite the still visibly amused gunman. Kadaj checked that his inventory bag and Souba was underneath the table before sitting down right beside her.

"So what did you say to her Brother? Did you offer that girl your Velvet Nightmare?" Kadaj snickered cruelly, as he awaited for his elder sibling's answer.

"Hn," Yazoo chuckled lowly in his throat. The sound seemed to vibrate through the air. Brushing his pale bangs away from his glowing orbs, the older warrior commented calmly. "I simply answered her question."

"And what was that?" It was Aeris who asked him this time.

Calm, narrowed eyes turned to gaze lazily across her form.

"What I like to do for fun," the gunman remarked ever so simply.

The flower girl's brows furrowed weakly. "…But why would your interests make her leave so abruptly?"

Yazoo shrugged calmly, even when his eyes remained acute with a dark, hidden knowledge. "Hn, to get rid of a freak Aeris, you must always be prepared to out-freak them," the gunman replied eventually to her, as his fingers playfully toyed with the rim of his empty wine glass.

The brunette frowned. "And what is that supposed to mean?"

"…." Yazoo offered Aeris another rather unhelpful shrug.

And so Aeris turned to Kadaj for answers.

Kadaj shrugged helplessly. "Don't worry about Yazoo Mother. He's just really fucked up in the head," the teen replied simply. "Let's just get you something to eat," Kadaj added warmly as he looked about the small dining area. The most activity in the room was coming from the buffet table. "Come on then Mother, let's go," the teen stated, as he rose up to his feet, eagerly waiting for his Mother to follow him in tow.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

**I know this chapter is ridiculously short for me, however I wanted something posted before Xmas pounces on me. Hopefully I will have more posted, so keep on harassing…err reviewing and I will try and upload more when I can.**

**Hope everyone is well.**

**Have a nice day x**

**Aerseph4eva xxx**


	6. Massacre

**To Love an Ancient 3: The Last Seven Days: An Aeris and Sephiroth Finale.**

**Words 7482**

**Pages 21**

**Chapter 6 Massacre**

**Disclaimer**

**Nope, I don't own Final Fantasy 7...but I sometimes adopt their kawaii bishounens! (Most specifically the silvered haired kind.)**

**Author's Notes**

**I really don't know where to begin. I guess the beginning is a good start. Finally I own a personal laptop again, so I can now write whenever the muse strikes me. Woo-woo x As I know, it has been far too long since I last updated this fic, so let me remedy that now.**

**So enough on my unnecessary rambling..**

**And on with the fic!**

**Warning!**

**Not a fuzzy-cute chapter. Instead it's pretty grisly and violent. So if you are not keen on blood splats and flying spleens, then do not read.**

**Musical Muses**

Shadow of the Colossus

Devil May Cry- Pain

Xenosaga 2

0o0

The situation was _dire_...

And yet Yazoo persisted…

0o0

As the ominous growth of Meteor threatened the helpless denizens of Gaia, one man continued to stride through the wintry darkness of Icicle Town. Narrow-eyed and thin lipped, the pale warrior seemed unburdened by the fragile weight currently pressed against his back, nor to the slim legs, from which he held protectively to his sides.

"!"

At the sound of a screeching car siren blazing down the road behind him, the pale warrior instinctively skidded down into the nearest alleyway, sinking into the shadows and out of human sight. It was only when the loud vehicle hurtled down the road, and turned the next corner that Yazoo allowed himself a moment to check whether the inert burden on his back had indeed awoken.

"Zzzzzzzzzz."

The pale warrior exhaled softly.

'_Still unconscious…'_

Tightening his grip on the motionless weight behind him, and rising back to his feet once more, the silent warrior continued his way down the dark alleyway, his mako orbs flashing between the frosty ground and the snowy rooftops for any potential sign of danger.

'_Where should I go?'_

'_Left_?'

'_Right_?'

Reaching the end of the narrow alleyway, Yazoo began to exit outwards, before hastily curling his body back within the dark, as another loud vehicle whirled down the road, followed by another, and another! When a fifth police car reeled down the same road so quickly after the forth, the warrior gritted his teeth together, his mind already envisioning the many kinds of violent madness he had left his dear little Brother to deal with at the restaurant alone...

_**0o0**_

"_**Yazoo! Get her out of here! Just get her out!**_

_**Don't let any of these bastards dare touch her Yazoo!**_

_**Kill all who dare try!**_

_**Protect her!**_

_**PROTECT HER!"**_

**0o0**

As Yazoo reminisced on the very last words that Kadaj had cried out to him, an unwelcome ache began to manifest itself within his left breast_. "Protect her…" _Yazoo quietly voiced to himself, as he carefully shrugged the light burden off his back, to reposition her, so that he was carrying the unconscious brunette in both his arms. In doing so, the female's head lolled to one side, exposing her white throat and a horrific splay of crimson which began from her right cheek, to continue a long ominous trail down her jawline.

"…."

The pale warrior assessed the wound silently, remembering how the injury was created by a careless knife throw of one of Kadaj's unexpected assailants. It was clear from the beginning that the thug hadn't intended to attack Aeris. His intention was all for Kadaj. However, as the human's aim was so shoddy, he had missed his intended target by a mile, and instead sliced the Cetra's face instead.

"….Suicidal fool…" The warrior mused to the night, remembering how the sight of Aeris' blood had instilled so much satanic rage within his younger sibling's eyes. And just like a bull to a crimson rag, Kadaj immediately turned on the knife-wielding perpetrator, and killed him.

"Hn, I am sure Kadaj will kill all those fools in the bar for you Aeris," Yazoo murmured to the unconscious female, as he brushed a stray gloved hand through her limp chestnut hair, his mako gaze hardening, as his mind strayed back to his last crucial memory of a foolish blonde human, whose lifeblood should have been spilt the moment her perverted eyes had the misfortune of gazing upon his form.

_'If only I had disposed of that disgusting girl when I had the chance... _

_then none of this would have happened.'_

_**0o0**_

_**Shivas :1 hr Previous**_

'_So you want to know what I enjoy….?_

_Then come closer and I will tell you…'_

**0o0**

Rio could not stop running.

"Nine…"

"Eight.."

"Seven…"

Nor could she stop counting.

And as the poor girl ran, _**His **_twisted words invaded her memory.

"_What I find enjoyable…_

_Is lying naked with a woman my younger Brother likes to call Mother._

_A woman I intend to kill…_

_Hn… Is that what you desire from me as well?_

_A man who desires to lay with you_

_as much as he would love to kill you?_

_Well I can tell you now, you foolish, simple thing_

_That I have no desire to lay with you…_

_But oh to kill you…_

_Hm, are you kind enough to grant me such a gift?" _

_The moment the pale haired stranger spoke his dark, empowered words, the beauty Rio once saw in him shattered. In an instant, the veil of lustful glamour was dispelled. The poor_ _girl opened her mouth in an attempt to cry out, but the moment she tried to scream, Rio had found her body violently trapped between her seat and the frightening barrel of the stranger's long, cold gun. Even through the layers of her bra and shirt, Rio felt the coldness of his merciless barrel digging right into her left breast. "!" Rio knew she had trapped herself. Never had she experienced such a situation where her own mortality was at risk over a man._

"_E-e-e!"_

_The girl's attempted scream transformed into a small, pitiful squeak of terror when her pale haired assailant leaned into her form, concealing the length of his vicious looking weapon between both their bodies._

"_!" _

"_I do so really want to kill you…" The pale haired psycho breathed inside the delicate shell of his victim's ear, while his pale bangs tickled the edges of her face. __"For it would be so easy to do so. Hn...you who bears too much weakness to me-" _

_And then her assailant paused. An odd flicker of emotion passed within the haunting green of his eyes, before shifting back into a calm, yet melancholy hue._

"_-Now listen carefully you stupid girl, for I will only say this once._

_I will give you ten seconds to leave my sight…_

_For if you don't… _

_and I reach zero…"_

_The threatening male dug his gun further into the girl's breast for further emphasis, while a cold, chilling smile began to bleed itself across his features._

"_Well…you really wouldn't like to find out what happens when I get to zero,_

_would you?"_

"_!"_

_The waitresses' face whitened and the pale warrior's smile intensified._

"_Now. You have ten seconds to leave my sight. Starting from now. T-.."_

_Rio did not allow herself to hear the psycho sound the first number, for she had already bolted from the table, and was half way down the stairway before her mind had counted down to seven._

_0o0_

"Six- five-four…."

In Rio's haste to flee from the psycho male, one of her thin heels missed the last few steps on the stairway.

"!"

With a high pitched cry, the poor female tumbled quite unceremoniously down to the very bottom of the stairs. Indigo eyes watered with pain, but Rio forced herself to get up off the floor. The waitress knew she had hurt her ankle, but the blonde had no time to nurse it. So she got herself up and continued on, speeding out of the dining quarter, ignoring all the wild looks sent her way by customer and staff alike. Before Rio knew it, she was back in the bar.

'Two-One…'

Rio knew she had to get out of the building. It was the only thing her mind could seem to grasp onto. Rio did not want to die. She did not want to see whether the silver haired psycho was following her from behind or not. She did not want to turn her head to see whether-

"Oomph!"

Rio wailed out in surprise when she ran into a fat, human wall. In an instant, the petite blonde was thrown down to the ground, landing rather painfully back onto her injured ankle.

#**Crack!**#

"OWWWWW!" The blonde yowled, as new tears streamed down her face.

"Oh sorry doll!" the large male customer apologised in a deep slurry tone, as he moved his half spilt mug of ale from his hands, to slosh it down onto the nearest table. Slowly bending down to help the poor waitress up and onto a nearby stool by the counter, the burly male eyed the girl's ample chest with a rather suggestive leer.

"Are you alright baby?" The apologetic male asked her drunkenly, as his gaze focused only on the blonde's rather sinful curves.

If Rio noticed the man's perversity, she made no action to reprimand him. All she could think about was the pale, psycho male upstairs. "No-no I'm not! I ran out of time. He's going to kill me now for sure." The poor blonde wept aloud, as she nursed her wounded ankle with both her hands.

"Whoa whoa. Slow your chocobos down babe. Who's gonna kill ya? Has a guy been harassing you again?" The drunk slurred out to her, as his small, beady eyes narrowed down in concentration.

Indigo eyes slowly crawled upwards, to gaze back at the fat, balding male lending her a sympathetic ear. "_Hm._." Although the male was _far_ from what Rio would consider a hotty, nevertheless, there was a genuine glimmer of concern in his eyes that made the blonde feel comforted and safe, if only for a moment.

"Y-yeah. T-there is… There's a man…He's upstairs…And…" Rio paused to swallow a frightened breath, as she raised a quaking fist over her left breast. "He….he held a gun to my chest right here…and he th-threatened to **_kill_ _me_**…I barely managed to get away…but he might- he might come after me…"

"Whoa! Seriously!" The large drunk cried out in surprise.

"Hey hun, you alright?"

"What's this about?"

Two other drunken males on the nearest table to her left, overheard the blonde's emotional plight. When they finally approached her, Rio recognised them both as regulars of the Shiva bar, and just like so many of the male clients she had served in the past, it was clear they were equally attracted to her, what with the way they oggled her body when they believed no-one else was looking.

"Rio what are you still doing here I thought your shift ended ages ago?"

'Huh?' Indigo eyes shifted behind her and over towards the bar. It seemed even her bartender boss was lending her a sympathetic ear.

"Oi Baby-cakes why ya crying?" Rio turned her head to her right, where a group of four other regulars were approaching her side as well.

"Another stalker again Ri?"

"Who was it Rio?"

"Who hurt you?"

"Where is he?"

"He's upstairs…" Rio answered weakly, as she nervously chewed on the ends of her hair.

"Did this jerk come onto you Ri?"

"Did he touch you?"

"What did he say to you again?"

"What does he look like?"

"Silver hair…Green eyes…" Rio mumbled distantly.

"Sounds like a freak." One drunken thug muttered angrily.

"Yeah!"

"Well I'm gonna bludgeon him for dare hurting our lil Rio!"

"Yeah I'm gonna pummel him as well!"

A bottle was smashed and held up in the hand of one of the more menacing brawlers. "Well I'm gonna scar him up so he'll never forget the memory we're gonna give him boys."

"Yeah, Let's show this freak what we do to rude foreigners who don't deserve to drink in our town!"

"YEAH!" The yobs hooted in unison and Rio felt herself smiling through it all, despite the severe throbbing of her ankle.

"Hey doll, could you pass me that knife on the table?" One of the less meatier brawlers called out to her. The blonde turned to face the male and noticed quite unnervingly that this man had a turned in eye that seemed to be looking everywhere but in front of him.

"Um…" Rio looked at the knife on the counter, which was used to slice the fruit for the cocktails. For one moment, Rio imagined the handsome green eyed man upstairs, scarred and bleeding by the same knife she was already reaching for.

'_Humph. Good then. Let that bastard get what's coming to him.'_ Rio's conscience screamed out to her, as she eagerly snatched the small knife off the counter and passed it to the strange eyed man, trying not to mentally cringe when the yob in question smiled at her, revealing all of his yellow and milky brown teeth for her eyes to see.

"Alright boys, whoever wants in on this fight, follow me!" The largest thug yelled.

"Yeah! No-one hurts our Rio!" Another cried.

"Haha! Let's get this dumb fuck!" The smallest one cried. "He won't know what hit him!"

As Rio watched the seven men leave the bar to mutilate the same man who dare tried to threaten her, a small satisfied smile began to manifest across her large, red smeared lips.

"Humph…Serves the bastard right for turning me down." Rio thought aloud, before turning towards the barman and asking for a shot of tequila and a bag of ice to treat her ankle.

0o0

**Shivas: Dining Quarter First Floor**

_Minutes before the Massacre_

0o0

The evening could not get any more draining. As Aeris was too tired to properly eat, she instead amused herself by idly playing with the buffet food Kadaj had all too eagerly placed on her plate. Now that they were both seated at the table once more, time seemed to be moving back to a slow crawl.

'_Hm. Yazoo is still acting a little odd.'_ Aeris mused to herself, as she caught eyes with the tall, lean male on the other side of table. It was undeniably strange indeed. Yazoo seemed to be in a rather pleasant mood, what with the way his lips were currently curled upwards in a lazy smile. '?' It was a look the flower maiden could not seem to discern, for while his mouth was openly smiling, his mako gaze seemed disconnected of the same joyous emotion. '_What could you be thinking Yazoo?'_

Realising that her eyes were now upon him, Yazoo vaguely nodded in the flower-maiden's direction before moving himself off his chair and heading towards the buffet table. Just as the gunman passed her by, the brunette seemed to notice that the light in the gunman's mako eyes seemed to be burning a little brighter than usual. '_Huh_?' It was odd to admit, but Aeris sensed something different about Yazoo. Something she was not able to place.

'_Hm…or maybe I'm just over thinking things…after all it has been a very long day…and I am pretty tired…'_

And so the brunette's half lidded gaze flickered to her direct right where Kadaj sat. He seemed to be happily munching away at some kind of meat he had found on the night buffet, which to Aeris, quite accurately resembled a small chocobo wing. As Aeris stared at the teen's meat-ridden meal, the brunette inwardly flinched at the remembrance of an unforgettable baby chocobo she once held in her arms.

'_Huh_?' Kadaj who was unnaturally perceptive to even the smallest glimmer of his Mother's attention upon his person, quickly pivoted his head to snap a delighted smile at her.

"So are you enjoying your meal Mother?" The young teen asked Aeris in a warm caring tone, while tearing another strip of meat off the bone with his teeth.

The brunette fought back the urge to grimace. "It's fine-" Aeris began softly, but was interrupted when a half munched wing was suddenly forced right under her nose.

"Here Mother, have some of mine," Kadaj offered warmly with a wide, overzealous grin.

"Umm…" Aeris tried not to show her current discomfort. "No thank you Kadaj," Aeris replied uneasily, as she kindly pushed the teen's offered wing away from her.

"?" A small frown appeared on the young teen's face.

"But it does taste nice Mother," the teen prompted.

"I'm sure it does Kadaj. It's just…." The brunette paused uneasily. "I don't think I could ever enjoy eating chocobo meat."

'?' Kadaj blinked in confusion at his Mother.

"Don't you remember Kwee Kwee?" Aeris asked softly, as she thought about the tiny little bird who once instilled so much comfort and light inside her heart.

_0o0_

_'Kwee-Kwee?'_

_0o0_

_The teen paused in thought…_

'...'

"!"

_'No. Oh heck no!'_

At the remembrance of that stupid god-forsaken ball of feathered filth, Kadaj felt his entire body flinch momentarily. Now that was certainly not a name he wished to think about any time soon. "Erm no?" the teen lied uneasily, easily remembering the yellow, flea infested, winged rat creature, who dare tried to steal his Mother's attention away from him.

"You don't?" Aeris asked the teen in genuine surprise, staring down at the youth who had now paused in his eating. "But you must remember Kadaj. He was the chocobo who we took in after his Mother died. Hmm, thinking about it now. I kind of miss him," Aeris thought aloud, as she remembered her tearful goodbye to the tiny yellow, feathered chick at the old Sage's home. '_Kwee-Kwee._' Although the chocobo hadn't been with her for very long, nevertheless, the tiny, innocent bird had left a gentle feeling of light inside her heart. "And that is why I don't think I could ever eat chocobo meat Kadaj, for all I would be thinking about is Kwee-Kwee," Aeris admitted softly, as she paused to pick up a piece of tomato from her plate, before popping it innocently into her mouth.

"Hn…..I see," Kadaj replied eventually, as he looked away from his Mother, to stare down at his half eaten wing in his hand. "..." But in truth, the pale haired teen could not see. In the young warrior's mind, Kadaj could not comprehend why his Mother would feel emotionally connected to what he could only deem as feather brained fodder. In truth, all Kadaj could focus on was one specific memory where the disgusting bird had the audacity to nuzzle against **"h**_**is"**_ Mother's chest.

'_Ugh_! _Sick_ _perverted_ _bird_.' Kadaj thought angrily to himself, as he violently bit back into his roasted chocobo wing, pausing only for a moment to relish on the taste and the tenderness of its well cooked flesh. And as the teen fed, Kadaj wondered on the likely possibilities of the yellow rat's current fate.

_'Hmm If I am really lucky,_

_that foolish Sage twit might have forgotten about feeding the blasted thing,_

_and the small and stupid rat-bird might have already returned back to the planet aeons ago.'_

And so, with that rather wicked thought dancing pleasantly in his mind, Kadaj smiled evilly to himself and grabbed another wing from his plate, biting into the cooked flesh with much more relish than he did before. And as the teen happily fed, Kadaj realised one truth about himself that could no longer be denied; _chocobo_ meat would now be his_ most __**favourite**__ food._

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

0o0

"**Come on boys! This git should be easy to find!"**

"**What was the description again boss?**

"**Silver hair. Green eyes."**

"**Yeah lets go get this freak!"**

0o0

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

**"!"**

It was the shouts proceeding up the stairs which caused Aeris to freeze mid bite.

On the opposing side of the room by the buffet table, like many other innocent bystanders, Yazoo paused and observed the seven strange ruffians who had suddenly appeared at the top of the stairway.

It was clear yp Yazoo these men were not here for the cheap buffet food.

_'Hn, some carry weapons. '_ Mako eyes discreetly flashed between the broken bottle and shards of metal glinting within these stranger's hands. _'Now I am clear of their intent, all I need to know now is...who they are after...'_

"Look over there! I think I see him! He's that punk kid over there!" The smallest stranger pointed out, in a direction that caused the gunman to dart his attention towards the same table he had sat at mere moments ago. _'Can my luck get any worse?'_ Yazoo mentally groaned to himself, as he watched the seven humans approach his seated Brother and Aeris. The gunman sighed. It seemed it apparently could, for as one of the larger humans blindly tapped Kadaj on the back on his shoulder, Yazoo watched how his Brother turned his head just in time to see a meaty fist heading straight towards his face.

"!"

Yazoo knew he was too far away to protect his Brother, and yet his warrior instincts knew that he did not necessarily need to. The gunman had no doubt that Kadaj could block the pitiful attack of the weak human, and Yazoo, like so many other eyes in the room watched with baited breath for the inevitable fight that was about to take place.

**0o0**

When a black beady eyed man almost reached his intended target's table, plump lips rolled upwards into a self satisfied grin.

'_Humph. Silver hair. Green eyes. This must be the freak who scared Rio.' _The drunk quickly assessed, as he reached out to tap the puny teen's shoulder with his left hand, while he rolled his right far back into a large, powerful fist.

"Hey!"

"?"

Feeling the tap on his shoulder, Kadaj calmly turned his head around, assuming his elder Brother was trying to grab his attention.

"What is it Yaz-!" Kadaj began.

"Kadaj look out!" Aeris cried out in fearful surprise, instinctively shutting her eyes at the sudden sign of danger.

"Wha-?" Mako green eyes widened at the sight of a surprise meaty fist heading straight towards his face. Having no time to pause nor think, the young teen dropped the chocobo wing back onto his plate, before instinctively blocking the unexpected fist with the flat of his palm. Blinking rapidly and looking beyond the clenched hand, the petit swordsman gazed in wide eyed confusion at the red faced stranger who had attempted to punch him out of nowhere. "W-what? Was that… meant to hit me?" Kadaj began slowly, as his large, confused eyes assessed the six other men who had began to enclose around his table. "Who are you all?"

Kadaj retrieved no verbal answer. Instead of words, Kadaj's attacker threw out his left fist towards the teen's face. But before the attack could strike truly, the young teen intercepted the flying fist with his free hand.

The young warrior frowned deeply. "Why are you attacking me?" Kadaj asked the stranger with a little more vehemence in his voice. Instinctively, the young teen's gaze flashed towards the horrified face of his Mother seated beside him. When their eyes met, Kadaj felt a rush of protectiveness wash over him. _These strange humans_...the young warrior had no clue why they had approached him, and why one even had the audacity to attack him. However Kadaj certainly knew one thing, and that was how he was not going to allow these fools tio get any closer to his Mother, for he really did not like their nearing proximity. The teen knew he could dispatch this foolish group in less time than it would take to think, however the thought of his Mother being witness to any unnecessary bloodshed made the teen's heart falter ever so slightly.

"Hey!" The teen's mako orbs narrowed down into dark, violent slits. "Get lost and leave us alone," Kadaj hissed at his attacker whose fists were still blocked against the flats of his palms.

It seemed Kadaj's attacker was less than amused with the young teen's words. "Pah! Yeah right!" Beady eyes began to burn with a growing rage. "Us get lost! Ha-ha what a joke. We are the regulars in the town, unlike you 'ya scrawny freak! And no'body in this town likes strangers like you coming in, upsetting our poor, innocent girls." The large thug began, as he pulled both his fists away from the small, seated male, with clear intention to strike the young teen again.

Kadaj blinked and slowly ingested the stranger's words. 'Huh_?_' Even repeating the man's words in his head made them make no less sense.

The young teen watched, as the obesily large human took a visual once over his form, gauging the height and physical build of Kadaj with a rather unamused snort. "Now you pathetic pipsqueak, I'm gonna teach you a lesson for coming onto our poor innocent Rio."

'_Coming on to?' _Now Kadaj looked positively confused.

'_What the? What the hell is this guy going on about now?' _the teen blinked sharply, trying to think of what the fool was going on about. Kadaj knew the only person he had given his attention to this evening was his beloved Mother.

_'What the heck is going on here?'_

0o0

On the other side of the buffet room, calm mako eyes began to bleed a phosphorous shade of hate.

_'Why that little...'_

_0o0_

_"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!"_

Kadaj exclaimed, as another meaty attacker threw another punch at him.

Aeris who had been previously silenced by her previous fright, felt the need to come to the teen's rescue. "Oh please stop this! I'm sorry Mister but I think you might have got the wrong person," the flowergirl began softly, in an attempt to pacify the situation.

Dark beady eyes turned to glare viciously at the small girl._ 'Humph. Wrong person my ass. Silver hair. Green eyes. It's definitely him. This must be his dumb whore of a friend.'_ "Stay out of this you stupid **bitch**!" The yob barked out, as his thick eyebrows narrowed menacingly in the poor flowergirl's direction.

Aeris shrank back in surprise, completely speechless at the vile glare sent her way by a complete stranger.

"!"

That was it. White rage consumed the young warrior's senses. "How DARE you talk to Mother in such a way LOWLIFE SCUM!" Kadaj screeched out. In an instant, the young warrior threw out his fist, and Aeris watched in mute horror, as the large thug sailed across the air, over the banister and down to the floor below with a bone jarring thud.

"…."

And then there was silence.

When the body did not move….

The music stopped.

And it was then that people began screaming...

"Boss!" One of the youngest thugs cried out in genuine horror, leaning over the broken banister for a moment, before pivoting his angry eyes towards the now irate swordsman,. "Why you!" He yelled viciously as Kadaj flashed out of his seat.

Barely three seconds had passed, before Kadaj knocked two more drunks to the ground.

Kadaj relaxed his fighting stance to check whether his Mother was fine.

"You ok Mother?"

Aeris nodded shakily. Despite having lived in the slums, the brunette was barely able to handle conflict.

"What's happening up there?" Security called out from below.

"There is a fight upstairs! It's those foreigners!" A male voice cried from above, as bodies of adults and children ran frantically towards both exits of the restaurant. "Someone call the police!" Another voice screamed out from below.

"It's him! The guy with silver hair! It was him who started the fight." Another voice called out from one side of the room, followed by a smash of glass. "Get him!"

'Fucking great.' Kadaj hissed out in irritation, still more than baffled by the unnecessary madness that had materialised from apparently nowhere. The young teen darted his gaze towards his Brother, feeling momentarily surprised that his elder sibling had made no attempts to assist him. Instead he merely stood calmly, assessing the mess of the room, with an unhealthy amount of detached curiosity.

"!"

It was the sound of metal whistling through the air, which caused Kadaj to turn his head back to his current fight. Instinctively, the swordsman raised his hand and snatched the handle of the blade out of the air, before throwing it right back at his attacker. "YOWWWW!" The yob cried out helplessly, and tried to shield his hand with his face. Sacrificing his hand to save his life, the young male screamed out quite painfully when the blade embedded itself right into the palm of his left hand.

"Ha!" Kadaj smirked sadistically to himself, before darting his eyes towards Aeris who was now looking positively ill with fright.

The teen frowned deeply.

Kadaj did not like the look of fear on his Mother's face.

And so the teen came to a quick decision.

"Mother let's go-"

The teen's words were interrupted by the cry of a charging drunk, intending to barrel him down. Kadaj managed to incapacitate the fool with a well-defined punch to his jaw followed by an uppercut shortly after.

As Kadaj was too focused on facing his standing attackers, his gaze did not catch the flicker of silver, flying through the air by one of his fallen attackers, until it was too late.

0o0

Fortunately another pair of mako eyes did.

Mako eyes flashed in warning.

The knifeman had attempted to aim for Kadaj.

But the injury in his shoulder had made his throw misdirected.

In slow motion, the mako eyed gunman watched a slim flash of silver moving nowhere near its intended target….

Instead…

The knife was heading towards….

"!"

0o0

Yazoo did not give himself time to think, as he sped across the room and pushed the flowergirl down to the ground beneath him.

"Aghhhhhhhhh!"

Yazoo winced when crimson blood splashed his cheek. He raised his hand to his face, knowing the blood was not his own. Turning his gaze down to the terrified woman beneath him, mako eyes widened at the sight of the long bloody tear which was bleeding rapidly from her right cheek.

'_If I did not move her in time. That knife would have been fully embedded in her neck._' Yazoo thought grimly, while Aeris held her wounded face in terrified shock. Fright was written within her eyes, and the expression jolted the gunman's heart hard.

""

Yazoo whipped his head behind him, almost half expecting to see the face of the demon standing behind him. Instead, the gunman faced eyes not unlike his own.

0o0

Kadaj stared helplessly in horror at the sight of his Mother lying wounded in his Brother's arms.

"MOTHER!"

The teen's face whitened. If Kadaj was seething with rage from earlier, now his temper had finally exploded. There was no logical sense to his actions now. Kadaj was seeing red. He had seen his Mother's precious lifeblood spill. The atrocious colour filled his senses and guided his next actions forward.

When Kadaj turned his gaze towards the fallen perpetrator, mako eyes glared a phosphorous shade of hate.

"You dare try and hurt her!" Kadaj exclaimed violently, as he strode towards the pitiful male on the ground.

"Noo-…I w-was a-aiming for y-you b-b-b-but my h-hand slipped." The wounded yob replied rather shakily, trying to look away from the death intent that was emanating within the warrior's slitted, mako eyes.

"I don't care who you were aiming for. You HURT MOTHER!" Kadaj yelled out savagely, rushing forward, and grabbing the front of the man's shirt, bringing them face to face.

"B-but I didn't mean to-," the bleeding man protested.

Kadaj had heard enough. "OH THAT'S IT! YOU ARE NOW SO GONNA DIE!"

The man was knocked out the moment the teen's pale fist smashed against his face. Blood burst out from the yob's nose, even as the teen punched it again and again. In that moment, Kadaj wanted to crush the heart of the man who dared to harm his only source of joy. He wanted to squeeze the weak convoluting organ of this pathetic man in his fists, and watch his putrid blood trickle uselessly down his arm. After all, for each drop of blood that had dripped down his Mother's face, Kadaj wanted to make this man's body spurt out in torrents.

"Kadaj. Behind you."

Yazoo's words caused the young warrior to pivot around, as six suited operatives appeared up the stairs. Judging from the badges on their chest, hand guns and armoured uniforms, they were obviously local force combatants, delegators of the law.

"You are all under arrest!" One officer boomed out from beneath his helmet.

Chest heaving and heart racing, Kadaj eyed his new targets with a dark and sinister gaze, before momentarily snapped his gaze towards his Mother. Seeing all the blood on her face... Kadaj could not bear to look at the depth of the injury. His body seemed to be rattling with a barely controlled rage that seemed to eclipse his small frame. One of his bloody fists tightened fiercely into his hair. He was so full of hate right now, he thought his body would explode from the violent energy pulsating within his skin.

Kadaj knew now was not the time to lose his cool. He had to finish off these bastards. He had to protect them for his Mother's sake. But he also needed to get his Mother out.

Desperate eyes found his Brothers.

_"Yazoo! Get her out of here! Just get her out!_

_Don't let any of these bastards dare touch her Yazoo!_

_Kill all who dare try!_

_Protect her!_

_PROTECT HER!"_

Yazoo did not need to be told twice. He pulled Aeris in his arms and began to rise.

"DON'T MOVE!"

One armoured soldier cried to Yazoo, as he pointed his gun at the gunman, ready to fire.

"DON'T FOCUS ON THEM, FOCUS ON ME!" Kadaj screamed out as he charged at the six officers.

"Fire!"

The bullets flew and Kadaj dodged as best as he could, trying to draw the men away from his Brother and Mother, throwing up tables and chairs in the air to dodge the rain of bullets heading his way.

As he raised the fourth table, his eyes caught onto the sight of his inventory bag and a familiar sheathed blade discarded on the carpet beneath him.

Eyes narrowing viciously, Kadaj eyes flitted between his enemies who began to slowly close in on him.

He was going to win this. He was not going to allow anymore else to hurt his Mother!

0o0

As Kadaj's fight continued on. Yazoo in his peripheral vision caught sight of his Brother grabbing the nearest officer by his neck, and smashing him face down into the nearest table, while his left leg kicked another assailant in his chest, causing him to fly backwards into two other enemies behind him.

"You aren't going anywhere!"

Cold mako orbs narrowed back at the single officer targeting him and Aeris alone. Before the Icicle gunner could aim his weapon at the pale warrior, Yazoo calmly raised a calm foot and kicked the armoured male out of a nearby window. Shards of glass followed the officer's descent out of the room, while the cold air of the world outside, whistled inside the room.

And yet the five remaining officers inside the room paid no notice to their fallen ally, for they were too focused on a certain young warrior, who had finally retrieved his sword from beneath the ground. As the gunman's younger sibling practised a few lazy swings of Souba in the air, Yazoo knew without a doubt, if the police officers thought they had a chance in defeating Kadaj, now they stood no chance.

Tightening his grip on the unconscious maiden in his arms, Yazoo took one final look at his Brother, in time to catch the sing of Souba making a diagonal arc downwards, and passing through the body of one assailant. Yazoo turned away. He knew the officer would be dead long before he could feel his body split, and see the spray of his own crimson blood assault the air.

All the while, loud screams of horror and outrage came from the lips of Kadaj's enemies, and as the crazed teen twirled his wrists and violently brought his sword down again and again, having no mercy for any of the armoured men in the room, Yazoo discreetly leapt out the window with a now unconscious Aeris in his arms, landing on the closest roof available, before slipping down into the shadows, and out of human sight.

And Kadaj's bloodied brawl continued on.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Gods, it's definitely been a while since I have updated this fic. It's def been far too long. Meh...Anywho... it seems despite the lack of a certain OWA, that violence and danger still follows Aeris' group wherever she goes. This chapter is much shorter than I intended and is very likely ridden with grammatical mistakes...but I wanted to get tlaa3-6 done since a kind reviewer prodded me to update.

Tell me what you think you guys with your reviews.

And hope everyone had a nice read.

Take care

Aer_seph4eva


	7. The Blood Thirsty Child

**To Love an Ancient 3: The Last Seven Days: An Aeris and Sephiroth Finale.**

**Words 10,003**

**Pages 27**

**Chapter 7: The Blood Thirsty Child**

**Disclaimer**

**Nope, I don't own Final Fantasy 7...but I sometimes adopt their kawaii bishounens! (Most specifically the silvered haired kind.)**

**Author's Notes**

_**Hey guys! Hope you are all doing well. Whew, I finally found time to write and edit this fic. It's pretty strange if I must admit. I tried to structure this chapter out, but in the end this chapter decided to pretty much write itself. My main focus in this chapter is a certain little Mamma's Boy Remnant. Must admit if I was Aeris, I would have ran for the hills a long, long time ago if I ever had someone I barely knew call me 'Mother-Mother' all the time. Nevertheless, there is something creepily cute about Kadaj, so as the title kinda suggests, you guys will be reading about a less fuzzy approach to Kad's feelings for his Mother.**_

_**Warnings For This Chappy**_

_**Just a lil warning, as I'm listening to some pretty dark yet powerful music, expect some pretty twisted writing from yours truly. It's M rated so I'll warn you guys that violence will be a prevalent theme in this chapter. After all, my intention is to expand on Kadaj's role in this fic. For it is clear that Kadaj loves his dear Mother to bits…however my intention is to play on the more disturbed side of his nature. After all, one must admit that someone who can carry a sword around with them all day isn't obviously carrying it around just for show right?**_

_**Favourite Musical Muses**__**:**_

_**Thomas Bergersen: Femme Fatale**_

_**Lisa Gerrard: Dead can Dance: Redemption/Persephone**_

_**Lisa Gerrard: Man on Fire Ending Theme**_

_**Hans Zimmer: Angels And Demons: Air**_

_**Blood - : Diva's Song**_

_**Shadow of the Colossus: Those Who Remain**_

_**Hans Zimmer: The Ring: The Well**_

_**Clint Mansell: The Fountain: Stay with Me**_

_**Anywho…. **_

_**Now that my ramblings are out of the way…**_

_**On with the fic! **_

_0o0_

Within the anxious breath of night, beneath the top of the tallest spire, a lone bell-ringer tolled the town's church bells three weary times. Far down on the icy streets below, alarm sirens yelled and the cold wind howled viciously. Snow continued to billow out from the heavens above in an angry torrent, spraying the city with a harsh yet ethereal icy mist. It seemed everything was marked with the same colour. Everywhere had been tainted by the white vicious downpour of Gaia's might.

"…."

Sheltered below in the dark, and hidden away from the nightmare of snow and ice, stood a male gazing beyond the chaotic white. His deep phosphorous eyes revealed no emotion other than an inner melancholy, visible to no man except the pane of glass separating his body from the harsh cruelty of the world beyond.

'_Kadaj_…'

Yazoo leant his pale face against the window frame and sighed deeply. Four hours had passed since he had left the restaurant with Aeris…and yet, Kadaj was nowhere to be seen.

'_Where are you little Brother?_

_Have you gotten lost within the dark?'_

The gunman exhaled a slow, disquieted breath. Kadaj should have been able to track their location by now. After all, Yazoo's chosen location to conceal Aeris was a place they had all visited before. '_If only I can get in contact with him.'_ Reaching into his pocket, Yazoo calmly glared at the blank face of his uncharged PHS, before carelessly tossing the useless item across the room.

As an old grandfather clock ominously ticked away the precious seconds of the night, the lean gunman slowly curled long, gloved fingers around the frame of the windowsill.

"….."

The gunman grimly frowned.

There was so little time left….

And yet he was trapped here, waiting….

_Always waiting_…..

0o0

Three hours previous-

_**Icicle Inn- Gast's Home**_

0o0

0o0

Yazoo had finally found it.

This had to be the place.

Yazoo knew it was here. His photographic memory had immediately recognised the large wooden frame of the door, and the poor dishevelled tree perched on the left hand side of the porch from his last visit. From an outsider's point of view, the building looked abandoned, and Yazoo only hoped it still was. For the last thing the weary gunman wanted to do, was engage in yet another unnecessary fight, whilst having a certain unconscious Cetra lying uselessly in his arms.

Looking behind him warily, Yazoo checked the ground and skies for any sign of potential danger lurking from within the dark. Finding none, the gunman turned back to the closed wooden door. Unlocking the door with a simple kick was enough to get him and the unconscious Aeris inside to safely. Shutting the door behind him, Yazoo strode through the familiar house, his snow-covered boots making wet, snowy prints across the grey stone floor and cobalt printed rug.

Like the first time Yazoo had entered the house, the strange, unfamiliar contraptions in the room held little interest to him. The only thing, which drew his interest however, was the sight of a small, spindled chair pushed up against one wall of the room. Yazoo did not hesitate in moving himself towards it, to carefully plant the unconscious brunette down on the wooden seat. Then slowly, Yazoo stepped back to properly assess her.

"…"

The gunman's glowing eyes needed no light of a candle flame to catch the glint of wet crimson lazily sliding down the flower girl's wounded face, catching the sharp edge of her chin, and dripping rather ominously on the wooden chair arm beneath her head.

"…"

The warrior's face grew grim.

Yazoo knew it was Kadaj who had kept all their advanced curative items stocked within his inventory bag, the same bag he had left behind at the restaurant. '_Just_ _typical_…' The warrior mused to himself. It seemed unfortunate that the gunman had no materia equipped on his person, other than 'Sense', 'Gravity', 'Quake' and 'Heal', and while Yazoo's mastered 'Heal' materia could nullify and build up a resistance to most toxic impurities within the body, the green orb did not possess the ability to heal any open wounds.

"..."

And so the gunman's stern mako eyes searched the room around him.

'_Hn, there must be some suitable gauze to use in this house.'_

And so the gunman made a conscious effort to look around for some bandages. As the gunman went from dark room to dark room, from the small kitchen to the large bedroom upstairs, Yazoo's frown began to deepen even further. _'This is pure folly,' _the warrior inevitably realised, when his search surmounted to nothing.

When Yazoo trudged back to Aeris, his warrior eyes momentarily paused on the large window in the dark living room, or more precisely, the old worn curtains, and for one moment, the pale warrior contemplated cutting the dusty fabric into suitable strips of cloth.

"Ugnn…"

Calm mako orbs flickered back towards the weak, moaning female.

'?'

And it was then that Yazoo truly stared.

It was clear to the pale warrior that Aeris was still nestled in the realm of sleep, with the way her face contorted only for a moment in pain, before clearing back into a sad, yet peaceful air.

And then the gunman's gaze moved downwards.

The brunette's body, albeit small seemed crooked on the tiny, spindled chair. Her legs were severely bent, and both her arms were drooped to one side, one gloved hand just shy of touching the cold, stone floor below.

'…'

An anxious, yet awkward feeling, which Yazoo could not seem to recognise nor register, awoke itself within his left breast. '?' And so the gunman's body acted before his mind could even begin to fathom the strange workings occurring within his body. Picking up the unconscious, bleeding female in both his arms, the gunman turned himself towards the stairs and ascended up the steps, taking care not to jostle the sleeping burden. When Yazoo found a bedroom where one king sized bed lay as the central focus in the room, the gunman made his way towards it and gently deposited the unconscious female on top of the worn, mauve tinted covers, before lazily shrugging off her boots, and thudding them down to the floor beside the large bed.

When the pale warrior pulled himself away again, to stare once more at her slight figure, the gunman was surprised to note that Aeris seemed even smaller on the large bed, than when she was lying on the tiny chair downstairs. Yazoo inhaled and exhaled slowly. He could not explain it.

Aeris just looked so tiny.

So defenceless.

And so very, very alone.

'_No…_

_Not just alone…'_

Yazoo shyly shook his head.

'_She is alone with me…'_

The strange unsettling feeling from earlier was expanding across the gunman's left breast, moving like a disease through his body. It was gripping and clenching down on his mind and loins, making him feel so nervously overwhelmed by the need to retreat. Startled and disturbed by this deep, unexpected sensation, the gunman quickly averted his eyes from the unconscious maiden, to instead droop his haunted gaze towards the frayed lilac curtains near the bedroom window. For even standing in the pitch dark, the gunman could see the dainty damasked print on the fabric with such an unfathomable clarity, that any form of artificial light would only serve as an unnecessary hindrance to him.

"…"

The gunman's gaze wavered slowly on the withered fabric.

Yazoo knew his attention to detail was impeccable...

His self-discipline was strong and absolute…

'_And yet….'_

Even when his eyes were not on her…

Yazoo could still feel the pull of her presence behind him.

'_Damn_ _her_.'

The gunman cursed quietly, running a weary gloved hand down his face, and closing his glowing eyes beneath long, gloved fingers. But even as he did so, Yazoo's ears listened to each slow inhalation and exhalation of '_her'_ breath. "…." The gunman knew this was getting ridiculous, and he knew he was no fool. Yazoo briefly had an idea what this strange, unsettling feeling in his chest was, and yet the stern and disciplined warrior refused to give a name for it. He refused to think such a thought, let alone speak it out loud.

'.._Damn me_…'

Yazoo cursed to the walls of his own mind.

For even in the cold, dismal darkness of the room, the temperature of the gunman's body began to uncomfortably rise…

And despite the gunman's heavy reluctance…

And utter shame…

It was not long before Yazoo slipped his fingers from his face, and his eyes unconsciously strayed back towards the temptation of the forbidden, lying within the stillness of the dark.

'She is still bleeding,' the gunman noticed quite gloomily to himself, as his eyes burned with a nervous intensity at the sight of crimson life staining the pillow beneath her head.

'…_and without Kadaj's materia here, Aeris' face will be marred forever.'_

Pale brows furrowed deeply at the uneasy progression of his thoughts.

'_And why… why should such a superficial thing bother me?_

_For in the end,_

_Does it really matter if Aeris greets death whole…_

…_.or with half her body missing?_

_After all… _

_I will have to kill her all the same….'_

Yazoo sighed bitterly when he realised his thoughts had taken on a more disturbing turn for the worse. The gunman raised his eyes heavenward, staring up at the grim ceiling above his head.

'_So why should I help her now?' _The warrior repeated wearily, as the resentment of his duty for her began to weigh heavily against his breast.

'_For I owe her nothing…_

_And she wants nothing from me…_

_And what use am I to Aeris…_

_Other than a ticket for an easy death…?' _

The gunman did not know when he raised his hands to cover his eyes. Although rather inappropriate, Yazoo suddenly felt the urge to laugh. However, the small, quiet sound which escaped his lips was bereft of all joy. Instead the sound was broken. Twisted. Tortured…

'_Gods I'm such a fool to think like this._

_Someone tell me why?_

_Why must I protect that which I must soon destroy?_

_Why even try?'_

The gunman's shoulders shook with half reigned emotion.

'_I know there is no redemption to be found in any of this madness._

_And no matter what I may do to aid her now…_

_It will not change her fate nor mine…_

…

_For Kadaj will have no mercy for me in the end…_

_So why should I try to aid her..?'_

Soon the tired gunman lost the will to laugh at his own mental folly.

'_Why should I even care?'_

Eventually, Yazoo withdrew his long gloved fingers from his face, to return back to his sides.

'_Gods… I hate this…_

_..._

_I hate her…_

…

_And I hate myself…'_

As time continued to tick on within the silence of the room, eventually Yazoo found himself sitting against the edge of her bed. Listening to her breathe. Listening to her life… life that very soon, would end by his hand.

"Hn... Maybe we should all just die Aeris…" Yazoo concluded thoughtfully, as the haunting glow of his eyes began to mellow down at her sleeping figure. "Hn…maybe, just maybe Aeris… we should all go together…"

0o0

More time passed slowly in the dark.

And the gunman sighed wearily to himself.

Eventually, the pale warrior stood and began to pace the room.

For Yazoo could not rest.

He would not rest.

Kadaj had not returned.

And danger was still lurking outside.

Danger was lying on the bed.

And the more he watched her…

"….."

Yazoo had never felt more trapped.

Soon Yazoo strode towards the lone window in the room. His narrowed eyes observed the snow covered streets. For even in the early twilight, there were clear signs of human activity. Officers patrolled with their brightly lit torches. Sniffer beasts scurried beside them on all fours. Police cars kept moving down the long icy roads. It was clear they were looking for someone…

"Kadaj…." The gunman exhaled slowly_. _

'_Where are you little Brother?'_

_0o0_

**_Meanwhile…Outside in the frosty dark…_**

_0o0_

Running ragged on the icy streets alone, vicious eyes pulsed a scorching green, as they searched the sky and ground for any kind of movement; any kind of danger. The figure quickly tore around a corner, his black form less than a flickering blur amongst all the falling white. The warrior's pulse was pumping, his heart was burning, and even though the snow was lashing at his exposed white skin, the dark figure did not stop moving. He would never stop running. For an all-consuming rage was fuelling the fires of his blood with…

_**Wrath…**_

_**Death…**_

_**Retribution…**_

Kadaj knew his mind was corrupted by it.

His soul was desperately begging for it.

And all because he had seen it…

His Mother's crimson life…

Staining her face…

_'M-Mother...'_

That one traumatising memory had been branded within the young teen's mind forever.

Because to Kadaj, the sight of Aeris' blood was a frightening flash of her mortality…

And the thought he had almost lost her this very night…

It had nearly taken the very life out of his body…

'_If Yazoo had not been there to save you Mother..._

_Y-you might have…_

_Y-you m-might have…'_

Hot tears blurred the teen's vision, dribbling down his pale cheeks, but Kadaj kept on running. He had to keep on moving. For his fears of death…'_**Her'**_ death were snapping violently at his heels.

"_!"_

When an inhuman howl erupted from behind the running youth, the pale warrior snapped his head to one side, to glare fiercely at the face of a beastly cur currently bounding across the snowy path towards him.

'_So I'm your target, am I?'_

The creature's maw was wide and salivating. It seemed ready to feast, ready to kill.

"I bet you'd want to hurt **her** too, wouldn't you!" The young swordsman snapped out beyond the cry of the icy winds.

A gnashing of vicious teeth was the foul beast's answer.

"So be it! You will die too!" The lone warrior lashed back at the large, dark creature, as he angled Souba towards his enemy, who was catching up to him from behind.

The moment the beast pounced, a glint of metal caught the darkness of night.

"Hyah!"

The dog howled out a long, loud, death cry.

And childlike lips curled upwards with a gleeful intent.

"That was for you Mother…." Kadaj breathed out gently, as wide, glowing orbs ingested the violent scene of death that was impaled on his bloody dual blade. When an explosion of crimson blood began to spew out from the beast's open torso, the metallic shimmer of Souba suddenly turned, twisted, then darted upwards into a fateful bloody arc. It was then in that one foul moment, that the dog's body separated in two. One piece flew past the small warrior to thud pathetically against the walls of an abandoned factory, while the other skidded helplessly across the snow, leaving a bloody trail of death and terror in its wake.

'_Humph. Now there's one less creature in this world that can hurt you Mother…' _Kadaj mused to himself, as mako eyes feasted on the sight of wet, bloodied fur. However when the blinding beam of a police car emerged from around the same corner, the teen's glowing eyes widened, then consciously narrowed down on his next target.

"HALT! POLICE! Put down your weapon and put your hands above your head!" One officer cried out, using a loud speaker from within the vehicle.

"OH FUCK OFF!" Kadaj retaliated back at his enemy, as he calmly adjusted his grip on Souba, the dual-blade still dripping red from his last victim. The warrior quickly assessed the two men in the vehicle. It was clear both officers had weapons, yet Kadaj knew neither human was a threat to him. The swordsman knew that he could block their bullets easily, and even if a couple managed to pass through his defences, they would never have the power to kill him…

'_But…'_

The teen's gaze grew shadowed.

'…_if Mother was here…._

_These men had the power to hurt her…'_

The warrior's vision darkened.

'_And if I missed just one bullet that was aimed at her…_

_These bastards even had the power to k-k-i-…'_

Kadaj forcefully swallowed down the vile bile, which had suddenly risen into his mouth. By the Gods! The thought of Mother d-d-…!

To even think….that these weak degenerative humans had the power to destroy the most precious thing in his whole world…

The teen's entire body quaked with the terrifying truth.

No!

Kadaj could not let it happen. He would _**never **__**ever**_ let it happen! For as long as he lived, Kadaj would always live to protect her. He would always keep his Mothers safe from all harm! He would not allow anyone to touch her … and if they dared to try…

The teen's inhuman eyes narrowed down on the moving car.

They would _**DIE**_!

The closer his enemy moved towards him, the greater Kadaj's flare to protect 'her' grew. The glint of his enemies' weapons in their car only strengthened the teen's ire to fight. Kadaj's mako glare intensified with hate, and his grip on his blade became stronger, as the vehicle began to slow down towards him.

'_Humph, as if I will allow such putrid scum like you to live on the same Planet as Mother!' _The teen hissed out to the night, as he pointed his crimson soaked blade in the direction of the vehicle, which had now grinded to a halt, less than fifteen paces away.

"I repeat! You are under arrest!" a young officer cried out from his speaker. "So put the sword down and-"

"I heard you the first time you dumb fuck!" Kadaj interrupted him quite irritably, as he intentionally shifted Souba's point towards the officer who had just offended him.

"_**This is your last warning. Put down your weapon or we will shoot!"**_

The young warrior adjusted his stance, yet made no action to comply with the male humans. A small arrogant smile began to morph across the young teen's lips when the doors of the police car opened and two officers began to step out. "Oh bring it on." Kadaj taunted quite wickedly, as he playfully swung Souba in the air, while his enemies pointed their guns at him. Ready to shoot. Ready to kill.

"!"

When the first shot rang out, the pale swordsman made his move. From sprinting to leaping, then to hacking and slashing; screams of genuine anguish and visual terror filled the streets…..until silence reigned in the cold winter night once more.

Slowly, the swordsman calmly lowered his blade back down to the side.

And Kadaj sighed deeply.

"…"

'_I so do not want to be here…_' The teen groaned internally.

'_I do not want to be standing here…_

_Out in the bloody, freezing cold.'_

"…"

The young teen raised his eyes to the snowy heavens, and as the snow continued to fall over the bloody madness Kadaj had just created in the street, bright mako eyes fell shut in peaceful repose.

In that one moment, Kadaj wanted nothing more than to find his Mother, and spend the rest of this foul, dark night cocooned within her loving warmth. Kadaj desperately wanted to feel the touch of her fingers brushing away his pale bangs from his vision. He wanted to be comforted by her gentle eyes, and listen to her gentle words of love and beauty; of flowers and peace, while they waited together for the snowy storm to pass.

But…

The teen's eyes snapped open.

"There are still too many men out here who have the power to hurt you Mother," the pale swordsman murmured softly to the night, as the chilly breeze whipped his pale, crimson streaked locks.

'_There are just too many…'_

Suddenly, Kadaj's mako orbs hardened dramatically, and the skin around his eyes tightened almost painfully.

Kadaj's mind was made up.

Now was not the time to rest.

Now was the time to act.

'_So do not fear Mother…_

_Even though I am not with you now._

_It will not be for long._

_For soon, you will rejoice in the peace that I can offer you…_

_And even if I have to kill every man in this town to protect you._

_I will do it….. _

_Because Mother…_

_I love you…_

_And only you…_

_And until my last breath leaves this body,_

_I will always be here, keeping you safe from all harm.'_

"_**Always**_," the young swordsman promised himself aloud.

And then Kadaj ran some more.

0o0

**Back to Present Time…**

_0o0_

#**FLASH**#

0o0

A fierce light appeared from outside the window, striking the side of the dark building, followed by the agonised cries of both men and beasts being butchered down below. Instinctively, Yazoo's body snapped downwards beneath the window frame to withdraw his gun. '_Have we been spotted?'_ Yazoo listened with bated breath, as a bright flashlight gleamed across the window above his head, once, twice, three times.

The gunman's eyes narrowed, and the muscles in his thighs bunched, shifted, ready to rise, ready to fight. As the pale warrior's right thumb quietly unlocked the safety catch of Velvet Nightmare, he fleetingly looked towards the bed, towards the young woman who had caused him and his Brother so much strife over such a short period of time.

'_To protect that which I must kill._

_Hn…Such a sick, twisted irony…'_

The boom of a violent explosion hitting a nearby house immediately awoke the gunman from his dark, turbulent thoughts. With the ground and bed shaking, Yazoo watched as Aeris groaned and rolled over, beginning to show early signs of waking.

A crack of emerald green slowly emerged from the covers.

"W-where am I?" Aeris warbled weakly, as her unfocused eyes gazed around the dark, unable to pick up the anxious glimmer of mako gazing at her from beneath the large window frame.

An ear shattering cry sounded from outside. Both Aeris and Yazoo visibly flinched.

"W-what was that?" Aeris called out weakly in the dark as she grasped her fingers over her wounded face.

The cry was barely human. The gunman was not sure, but it sounded like someone's spine had been ripped straight from their torso. One glimpse out the window confirmed to Yazoo what he had thought to be so.

"!"

It was a massacre that chilled even the most hardest of hearts.

There was so much blood. Too much blood. Dismembered bodies of men and beasts now littered the street. Two cars had crashed into neighbouring houses. Their remains were still burning. Lights of the nearby houses had all been switched on. Many occupants were like he, gazing in shock outside their windows. Only the most foolish opened their doors to brave the bloodied streets.

And then Yazoo saw it.

His eyes widened, sharpened, and then consciously narrowed down on a dark form with acute, deadly precision. When Yazoo caught sight of a familiar black blur moving erratically within the dark, darting between his enemies with a flash of silver, decimating all who had the misfortune to stand in his bloody path, the gunman had to hold back a breath.

"Kadaj…" Yazoo exhaled slowly. In all his life, the gunman had never seen his younger sibling so thirsty for blood.

When another agonised wail assaulted the air, Yazoo watched silently, as a decapitated head sailed through the air, landing crudely on top of an open doorstep, where a blonde, a little girl no older than four stared transfixed at the horrific bloody mess spilt out before her, before being pushed back by an older woman, the door slamming shut behind them both in terror.

Another body hit the ground in his peripheral vision, and Yazoo immediately averted his eyes back to the one sided fight. Soon there were only three men left standing before his younger Brother.

'But not for long.' Yazoo silently mused. For from his vantage point, the gunman could only see the back of his Brother's head and the crimson angle of Souba pointed in the direction of the teen's final three enemies.

"Yazoo? What's happening outside?" A small voice whimpered beyond the covers.

Even though the gunman could hear rustling behind him, Yazoo did not turn to face her.

"Aeris, stay in the bed. You do not need to see this," Yazoo stated automatically, eyeing the bloodied horror on the streets.

"Yazoo?" Aeris whispered weakly, recognising the calm, stoic voice in the room. "Where are we? What is happening? I can't see anything"

"Close your eyes and cover your ears Aeris," Yazoo commanded once more in the dark. There was a disturbed weight to the gunman's voice. "There is nothing out here that you would like to see."

"B-but w-where is Kadaj?" Aeris asked with genuine worry, as she tearfully raised her hands towards her ears. "Is he here? Is he alright?"

"He will be here…eventually," the gunman answered slowly, as he continued to stare out of the violent window with desensitised eyes. "So for now…just… go back to sleep Aeris. Pretend you cannot hear anything."

Aeris frowned uneasily at the gunman's words, '_Pretend_?'

Refusing to follow the gunman's words, the brunette attempted to struggle out of the bed, before covering her ears with a strangled yelp when she heard the rough crack of what might have been a human skull smashing against brick. Aeris desperately hid herself under the covers. With her cheek bleeding, eyes shaking, and body trembling, Aeris clasped her fingers over her ears and clenched her eyes shut in terror. If only she could mute out all the sounds with her hands. All she could hear outside was screaming.

What new nightmare had she fallen into now?

"Y-Yazoo..?" Aeris voiced out tearfully.

But the quiet gunman did not answer her.

All the while, Yazoo's stared transfixed out the window, as Kadaj finished off the last of the Icicle's human defence with a vicious upward slash to the poor guard's throat, cleaving off half his victim's face in the process. The vicious warrior watched silently, as the Icicle guard slumped lifelessly down onto the blood drenched snow.

Then there was a pause….

And the blood bath ended.

Yazoo watched as Kadaj slowly lowered his crimson covered Souba down to his side.

The gunman exhaled a breath.

Suddenly, Kadaj twisted his head around at a peculiar angle, as if sensing something in the air. Then suddenly, crazed mako orbs were suddenly glaring up at the window from where Yazoo currently stood.

Hateful mako eyes glared up at him.

"!"

And in that instance, Yazoo knew something was wrong… There was something distorted and dark emanating within his Brother's phosphorus eyes. Before Yazoo had a time to ponder, the gunman was instinctively moving away from the windowsill, and Kadaj was flying through the air, straight towards him, smashing through the closed window and landing on one knee surrounded by shards of broken glass.

"…"

And then there was silence.

The cold, snowy night wind billowed into the room, jostling the curtains and the gunman's long pale hair.

And yet Yazoo stared transfixed at the knelt figure before him.

For even in the dark, Yazoo's eyes gazed silently at the crimson life dripping all over his Brother's hair, his face; his entire body. The gunman inhaled for a moment, smelling the odious copper tang surrounding the teen's small form like a demonic cloak. If Yazoo did not know any better, the warrior would have believed that Kadaj had been bathing in human blood.

"Kadaj..." Yazoo murmured quietly, addressing his younger sibling with a downward turn of his lips. "You are covered in blood."

From the gunman's simple words, crazed mako eyes snapped up in his direction.

"Just shut up!" Kadaj yelled out at the gunman angrily, his face still marred with hate. In that instance, Kadaj stood up to his feet and sheathed Souba, before turning his head side to side, looking around the dark room with bright inhuman eyes. "Where is she?" The young warrior spat out, glaring at the taller male quite heinously.

'_Those eyes…I don't like the look of those eyes…'_

Yazoo made no sound. Instead he stoically gestured a single hand behind him towards the bed. Kadaj roughly pushed past him, striding swiftly across the room.

All the while, the gunman watched his younger Brother warily, while his finger played with the trigger of his Velvet Nightmare, considering the possibilities….the frightening possibilities…

"Kadaj?" Yazoo called out again.

But the younger teen ignored him.

The gunman's face tensed, as he watched the pale swordsman pull back the comforter, to peer down at the sleeping demi-Cetra?

'No not sleeping…' Yazoo realised immediately. It was clear to Yazoo that the brunette was pretending to sleep. He could tell by the awkward stutter of her eyelashes and the erratic pace of her heart. '_Hm. Maybe she senses something amiss with Kadaj as well…'_

But it seemed Kadaj was blind to the signs of the brunette's fake slumbering, due to his shock and fear in seeing his Mother's lifeblood staining the pillow beneath her head.

"N-no…"

Yazoo watched the way the young male slowly eased himself on the edge of the mattress. He observed how Kadaj moved a bloodied hand towards the brunette's wild, dark hair, running crimson stained fingers through loose, untamed curls.

"Why?" a small voice spoke in the dark, as his bloodied pale fingers slipped from the brunette's hair, to stare in broken horror at the crimson mess of her face.

Yazoo did not know whether Kadaj had addressed the question at him or Aeris, and so he remained silent.

"Why?" The swordsman whimpered ever so softly, as if afraid his voice could add further harm to his Mother's wounded person.

Yazoo took one tentative step forward, keeping Velvet Nightmare's safety catch unlocked.

"Kadaj?" Yazoo repeated once more, as he slowly raised his weapon towards the bed.

"_**WHY?**_?" The swordsman suddenly exclaimed in a sharp, unstable tone, as he reached out to grab the brunette's nearest hand within his own, nuzzling his wet and bloodied face amongst the smooth, black leather. "Why would anyone wish to hurt you Mother?" The teen's voice was lost and shaky, and ever so impossibly afraid. His childlike face was contorted with both suffering and fear.

And in that moment, all the tension that had built up in the room dissipated. At the sight of his Brother's impossibly wide eyes tearing up before him, Yazoo felt his shoulders visibly sag in relief. He even noticed the way the brunette's body slackened, and how a tiny slip of green emerged from previously closed lashes. '_Hn. For a moment there, I think we both thought Sephiroth was here with us and not Kadaj.' _The gunman lowered Velvet Nightmare and holstered it to his side, before taking a step forward towards the bed.

"Yazoo!" Kadaj cried out anxiously.

"Kadaj," Yazoo answered quietly, as the swordsman's wide, distraught orbs met his own.

"Brother! You have my bag right? Give me my bag Yazoo! Give me all the potions and materia we have to aid her!" the teen commanded, as he moved off the bed and strode towards the stoic gunman, unaware that the brunette was now silently observing him. "I need to heal Mother before she wakes up Brother. I need to heal her right now!"

The gunman shook his head slowly. "I do not have your bag Kadaj. It was left at the restaurant," Yazoo admitted calmly, discreetly watching how Aeris stared at them both.

"!" The teen's eyes widened to horrific volumes. "No," Kadaj breathed out slowly.

The gunman's gaze flickered back towards his Brother, and his face briefly softened at the rising look of fear growing in his younger sibling's eyes. '_So much melodrama...' _"Do not worry Kadaj. We can always go and get your bag back now if you so wish."

The young teen unlocked his gaze from his Brother, and weakly shook his head. "No…no we can't Yazoo…" Tears were already welling up in the teen's eyes.

The gunman frowned. What a strange reaction. "Why not Kadaj?"

"Because I…" Kadaj swallowed down the urge to cry. "I-I burned the whole place down," the teen admitted quietly, as he raised both his bloody hands over his face, shakily gripping the skin above his cheekbones.

The gunman blinked in haste confusion. '_What the h-_?'

"I burned it... For M-M-other…" Kadaj continued brokenly, as he clenched his blunt nails deep into his face. Then like a broken ragdoll, Kadaj suddenly dropped down to his knees, and began rocking backwards and forwards in fright.

Yazoo stared down in mute shock. Never had he seen Kadaj break down in such a way. In truth….the intensity of his Brother's feelings for this woman, frightened him.

"Kadaj calm down. Aeris is not dead," Yazoo stated calmly, as he took a step forward towards his distraught brother, who was babbling crazed nonsense into his hands. "We can look for more materia or potions in this town. I'm sure Aeris will live to see another day."

But Kadaj ignored him.

It was clear Kadaj was no longer listening to him

The gunman frowned deeply, as his eyes once more caught the tortured expression of Aeris gazing at Kadaj from the bed..

"Mother! I'm so sorry Mother. I'm so, very very sorry!" Kadaj bawled brokenly into his hands. "Please, please forgive me. I know I have the power to protect you… b-but I failed you. Please, p-please forgive me Mother for I love you so very much. A loyal son would have protected you. A loyal son would have taken the knife for you! How could I betray my love for you by letting you get hurt! AGHHH!"

Before Yazoo realised what his crazed sibling was doing, Kadaj violently shifted his body weight towards the nearest wall, and repeatedly smashed his head against it.

"!"

When Yazoo's mental faculties overcame the surprise of his distraught sibling's actions, the pale gunman moved on instinct.

"Kadaj stop this madness!" Yazoo called out to him, as he dropped down to his knees and tried to pry Kadaj's head away from the wall. But Kadaj was paying him no heed. As Yazoo was too lost in his mental worry for his younger sibling, he missed the moment Aeris slipped off the bed and blindly made her way towards them.

0o0

Aeris' P.O.V

0o0

In the pitch black, the sudden sound of shattered glass had surprised her. But it was the sound of a familiar vengeful voice, which had the power to emotionally cripple her thoughts. 'S-s-eph?' Instinctively, the brunette's tired and wounded body curled away from the possibility that _**he**_ had finally found her, and was now standing here in the same room. The brunette did not dare to peek beyond the bed. Fear had taken over all her faculties. Injured and weak as she was now, Aeris knew she was completely powerless against a threat such as Sephiroth.

But then Yazoo's earlier words popped into her mind.

'…_just… go back to sleep Aeris. Pretend you cannot hear anything.'_

'Yes … If I pretend to sleep…If I pretend he is not there...then I might be able to survive this. If I don't move, he may not find me in here.' Aeris thought fearfully. In truth, the brunette knew she was being completely delusional, but Aeris had no other hope to cling to.

When Aeris heard footsteps move towards the bed, the brunette felt her limbs lock together in fear. 'No. Not now. Not here. I can't face him again. I do not have the strength to see him,' The brunette immediately clenched her eyes shut and turned her head to the side just before the cover above her head was removed, and her body was suddenly exposed to the cold winter night.

"N-no…" A voice above her murmured

It took nearly all her effort to remain still when cold, wet fingers moved across her form.

And then she listened to 'Him' speak.

"Why? Why? WHY? Why would anyone wish to hurt you Mother?"

And then brunette's heart nearly gave out in relief.

_'Kadaj?'_

Her green eyes cracked open, and Aeris discreetly watched, as the teen she once believed to be _**Him**_, began to nuzzle his face across her gloved hand.

Eventually, when Kadaj moved away from her side to approach Yazoo, Aeris moved herself up into a sitting position and struggled to see the two Brother's converse in the weak moonlight. Then before the brunette realised what was happening, Aeris watched as the faint silhouette of Kadaj dramatically dropped down to his knees. She watched in open horror as he rocked backwards and forwards with unconcealed madness, before violently smashing his head repeatedly against the nearest brick wall!

'_Kadaj!'_

The Cetra acted on instinct. Using the moonlight outside as her only source of light, Aeris slipped off the bed, Before the brunette realised what she was doing, the flower girl found herself on her knees on the right side of the bawling teen while Yazoo knelt beside him on the left.

"Kadaj…" Aeris spoke forthrightly, as her eyes struggled to see the teen's small form in the dark.

"Kadaj calm down."

The teen did not hear her.

And so the brunette boldly grabbed for the teen's cold, quivering shoulders in the dark and slightly shook him for good measure.

"Kadaj you better listen to me right now! Calm down, okay!"

And just like magic. The teen's erratic screaming stopped. Nevertheless his tearful snivelling did not end.

The brunette sighed briefly. In the dark, Aeris blindly groped her hands towards the back of the teen's neck, before bringing him toward her body. However, as the brunette leant forward to embrace the chilled swordsman to her breast, Aeris soon felt a sticky wetness in the teen's hair, brushing against her throat.

"?"

"Kadaj? Are you ok?" the brunette asked softly, unable to see anything in the pitch dark. She instinctively dipped her head down in an attempt to look closer. But as she did so, the flower girl gasped in pain, as her small neck action jostled her facial injury.

"M-m-" The teen made a small sound in his throat, before shakily raising his lean arms around the brunette, before crushing his face deep into the brunette's chest. "-other.." It was not long before Kadaj's body began to wrack with genuine sobs, and the demi-Cetra instinctively slid her hand down the teen's spine, making small circles against his lower back in an attempt to calm him.

"Kadaj sssh," Aeris breathed into his ear. "Everything is alright now. You are safe," the brunette tried to reassure him, even as her face contorted with worry. '_Was Kadaj hurt outside? Is he bleeding?'_ In the darkness of the room, the flower girl could not make out anything. His body felt so cold and wet, but Aeris was unsure whether that was from the snow or from something else entirely…

"Yazoo?" Aeris called out to the dark. "Could you turn the light on please?"

Aeris listened to the sound of faint footsteps crunching across broken glass followed by the faint click of a switch being turned on.

But nothing happened.

"Hn. The power is out," Yazoo answered quietly, as he turned his mako orbs back towards the two knelt figures in the dark. As the gunman visually assessed the form of his crying Brother, Yazoo almost believed the lack of light in the room was indeed a blessing. For Yazoo was quite positive that Aeris would have not liked to have seen the true extent of his Brother's bloody condition wrapped around her person.

"Oh," the brunette sighed weakly, before turning her attention back towards the 'wet' teen in her arms. "Are you alright Kadaj?"

"I'm ok," the teen weakly mumbled into her neck, naturally clinging to the warmth she offered him in the dark. "But are you ok Mother?" Kadaj voiced softly, as his eyes wavered with genuine fear. "You were bleeding earlier."

Aeris nodded feebly against him. "I'm ok," the brunette admitted back, even though her jaw stung of something terrible.

The tension in the teen's body relaxed ever so slightly. "I-I'm so g-glad.." Kadaj admitted breathlessly.

Aeris felt the teen shudder deeply against her body. "…It was just that…when I saw that knife…and I was too far away to reach you…I-I…I thought I had truly lost you Mother." Kadaj admitted tearfully, as his grip on his Mother tightened. "But I'm fine now," Aeris repeated automatically, as her face brushed the top of the teen's face, her eyes visibly cringing at the sensation of wet hair, sliding across her brow.

"I thought you had been taken away from me forever," Kadaj continued on, clutching Aeris even tighter, as if afraid she would disappear from his grasp.

"But I'm fine now Kadaj," Aeris repeated once more.

But Kadaj was not listening to her. The brunette felt the moment the teen tensed in her arms. In the dark, Aeris was unable to see the way the teen's youthful face began to contort with hate.

"I just don't understand why… They just came out of nowhere. They attacked us both with no warning."

"I don't know," Aeris admitted quietly, as she continued to stroke the teen's head with her small, gloved fingers. "I don't know why they attacked us either Kadaj…"

"Rio."

Aeris' and Kadaj's eyes flitted towards the silhouette that had silently crept towards the shattered window, exposing the white night outside. Although Aeris was unable to properly see his profile in the dim moonlight, Kadaj observed how Yazoo had his face was turned away to the side, eyeing a broken shard of glass near his feet.

"Rio was the one who ordered the attack on us," Yazoo explained calmly, as he eyed his distorted reflection within the damaged glass.

'?' Kadaj pulled himself partly away from the brunette's embrace, to watch his elder Brother. 'Rio?' The name held no meaning for him. "Who the hell is Rio?" Kadaj snapped angrily.

_0o0_

'_!'_

_0o0_

"The waitress…" Aeris murmured slowly to herself, as earlier memories of the night began to flash back through her memory.

"_What waitress?_"

Kadaj could only vaguely remember being served by a female at the bar. But as his attention was all on his Mother, he could not even remember the colour of this strangers eyes let alone the unimportance of her name. Nevertheless the teen was incredibly confused. "But I don't understand…? Why would this female stranger want to cause harm to Mother?" Kadaj fisted a hand to his side, unable to comprehend such an abhorrent notion. The young warrior turned imploring eyes on Yazoo. "You spoke to her Brother? Why would a female human wish to hurt Mother?"

"…." Yazoo did not know what to say. Whatever words he could say would not change the current situation that had passed between. So Yazoo decided to say the only thought that was currently on his mind. "Because that female is scum Kadaj. That's why," Yazoo muttered softly to the air. "Trash."

Aeris, who all the while who was listening to Yazoo, could not think of anything to rebuke the gunman's words, so she remained silent.

"Trash…" Kadaj repeated quietly, as he turned away from his Brother, to stare back at the wounded brunette's in his arms. As Kadaj continued to look at his Mother's damaged face, his earlier feelings of guilt and fear were shifting back into a much deeper, more unforgiving hate. "No Yazoo….that bitch is neither scum nor trash," the swordsman replied with a venomous hiss, as his fingers, which still clung to Aeris tightened with heightened emotion. "She is so much worse than vomit, piss or shit…And I hate her…By the Gods on every Planet I hate her so much! I hate how this bitch was the reason why Mother got hurt...The reason why Mother a-almost….almost…" The teen broke off his words, as his face crumpled further. A desperate trickle of emotion dripped down the swordsman's cheek. "Fucking disgusting bitch. I want her DEAD! She deserves to die just like the rest of them did!"

The demi-Cetra blinked twice, her eyes wide, her lips parted, yet her mind was frozen in surprise. "Kadaj?" Never had Aeris heard nor experienced such an immense feeling of hate coming from the young swordsman's mouth. In truth, Kadaj's words were scaring her quite deeply. For in the dark… it was not hard for Aeris to imagine another man speaking similar vile words with the same breath of vengeance.

"I hate her. I hate them all," Kadaj continued out angrily, talking more to himself, than to his Brother or even Aeris. "How dare they wish you harm Mother! How dare they!" The teen tightened his grip on his Mother that Aeris was struggling to find room to breathe.

The teen's heated eyes suddenly found the brunette's in the dark. Despite the lack of light, Aeris could see the phosphorous intensity gleaming deep into her soul.

And then the warrior passionately spoke.

"Mother I promise you here and now, that any man who dare hurts you in any way, I will kill them without any mercy. And for every foul female who dares to speak ill of you, I will find them all. I will gouge out their eyes and slice off their tongues!"

Aeris felt her entire body become brittle with shock.

Even Yazoo felt a rather unexpected twinge of nervousness creep up his spine.

The brunette really did not know what to say.

And then the young warrior's voice shifted. "I just want you safe Mother…" the teen said in a much more vulnerable tone. "For I don't know what I'd do if I lost you," Kadaj admitted through his new shed tears.

"K-Kadaj…" Aeris breathed weakly, as she felt her own eyes grow damp.

"At least I know you are safe now," the teen sighed with genuine relief in his eyes.

And then the teen's voice mellowed down to a more soothing tenor. His heavy breathing abated and his lean body relaxed within her arms. "And I feel safe knowing there is no one near us who can hurt you now Mother. ..."

Aeris had finally managed to find her voice

"What do you mean Kadaj?" Aeris voiced weakly.

The young teen pleasantly beamed at her, even though Aeris was unable to see his thousand watt smile, she could imagine it from her previous memories. "Do not worry Mother. You are safe now with me," Kadaj repeated quite fondly, as he nuzzled her shoulder with his cheek. "There is no man or beast out there that can hurt you now." The teen paused as the words filled the silence of the room. "No one who breathes at least," he added with a cute, vicious smile.

Aeris' gaze went wide. "Y-you mean…" The brunette could not bear to finish the sentence. Her arms slipped from the teen's sides. She wanted to pull away, but her body was completely frozen in place.

Kadaj nodded eagerly into her shoulder. "Yes Mother," The teen's mako eyes flashed with an overwhelming sense of achievement. In that one moment, Kadaj would never know how much he looked like Sephiroth that night.

"K-Kadaj…" Aeris murmured helplessly. "Then outside…the screaming…y-you caused it?"

She suddenly felt the urge to be sick.

Kadaj nodded enthusiastically into her shoulder. "Yes Mother I did! I did! You know everything I do is for you Mother. I live for you. I'd die for you. Even if I have to kill every man on this world to keep you safe Mother, I would do so gladly. Just tell me what to do Mother and I will always be here with you. Guide me with your love."

Aeris choked on a frightened breath. This very moment… It could not be real. She did not want to believe let alone imagine…._._

'_Kadaj….kills…..for me?"_

And then the young warrior continued on.

"If you just gave me the order Mother, I would do it now. Just tell me who to kill and I will kill more for you. Because I love you Mother and only you. And only a loyal son would do this for you. Only a loyal son would wish to protect you so." Kadaj finished with grave finality.

Aeris turned her head away from the teen. She had lost the strength to speak. How could she find the will to fight against this new nightmare? Why was it that everywhere she turned, the dark was always there to chase her? She did not want any more madness. She did not want to see nor inflict any violence on anyone.

Kadaj's words. They were just too much for her.

Aeris did not realise how she had become so blind to reality.

"Mother are you alright?" Kadaj asked Aeris eventually when he realised his Mother had been quiet for more than a few minutes. He loosened his grip around her, before pulling back to assess her face in the dark. The task was made even more difficult since the brunette had her features dipped half down, allowing her hair to hide her face, much like his own.

"I… "Aeris rose a trembling hand up in the air to bring a small amount of distance between them. Kadaj was staring at her with so much twisted warmth. She couldn't… she couldn't believe it.

"I…" She couldn't hold it in any more.

Aeris was going to be sick.

Her body lurched to the side of the teen suddenly, and both Kadaj and Yazoo watched as the brunette dry vomited on the carpet.

"Oh Mother! You're sick!" Kadaj exclaimed in genuine concern, as he reached over to draw the brunette's dark hair away from her face.

Aeris shuddered and tried to curl away from the young teen's wet touch. Now she had an idea what the 'wetness' was, the traumatised flower girl did not want those fingers touching her so gently. '_Kadaj just stop it…just go away and leave me here….I…I can't deal with any more madness in my life. Please go…please just go before I crumble…'_

"Go…" Aeris voiced weakly, as she pulled her hair from the swordsman's fingers and shuffled even further away from the young teen's prying hands. "Just go Kadaj. Leave me alone," Aeris said a bit more forcefully. '_Please…just go away…'_

"Go?" The teen's eyes widened to impossible depths. "What? But why would you want me to go Mother?" Kadaj protested in shock. "I can't leave you if you are sick! I need to help you get better! So what would you like from me Mother? Tell me what you need and I will do it. Are you hungry or thirsty Mother? Would you like some water or tea? Or perhaps a crumpet?"

"I would like you to G-go away," Aeris answered in a slightly stronger voice, as she curled in on herself, as if trying to hide from the darkness surrounding her from all sides.

Kadaj's back jerked backwards, as if he had been visibly struck by a thunder spell. "Mother…?" he breathed weakly. "W-why? Why would you want me to go away?"

All the while, Yazoo who had been playing the role of the silent spectator to this tragic play began to intervene. The gunman silently moved towards Kadaj and tapped him on the shoulder with a gloved hand. "Go and bathe Kadaj. You reek of human blood." Yazoo stated calmly, as he looked between his confused little Brother and the distraught flower girl.

Kadaj turned to blink slowly at his elder Brother, before looking down at his person in mild confusion.

"Blood?"

The cogs were slowly turning in the teen's head, and then Kadaj turned back to face his Mother then back at his elder sibling.

"Is that why Mother is upset with me Brother? Because of the blood?' His eyes seemed to call out to Yazoo.

Yazoo did possess the will to answer Kadaj honestly, and so he broke his gaze from his smaller Brother.

And so Kadaj turned to Aeris. Since she remained mute of all sound, the young warrior reached his own conclusion on the matter.

The teen's brows lilted apologetically. "Oh Mother. I'm so very sorry Mother. I should've realised this so much sooner," the young male stated with much regret in his tone, as he ran a bloodied hand through his long, wet hair, laughing nervously all the while. "I was just so happy to see you here alive, that I completely forgot about the state of my person. Will you ever forgive me Mother?"

"…."

The brunette did not answer him.

The teen's brows furrowed weakly, as his warrior gaze wandered over the flower girl's slight form. Kadaj now noticed that every place he had touched her Aeris, had been smeared by the same crimson filth that was currently covering his person.

The young warrior expelled a rush of air from his chest.

No wonder why Mother was so angry with him. "Mother. I'm so very sorry," Kadaj repeated once more. "I didn't mean to get all this blood on you. Do you want me to run a hot bath for the both of us? Then I'll gladly wash all this disgusting filth off you."

Yazoo's eyes jerked momentarily towards Kadaj, and Aeris shuddered visibly. Her hands were now covering her nose and mouth, while her hair was concealing her wide, tortured eyes from view.

"Bathe with me Mother," Kadaj offered softly in a form of a childlike apology, as he tried to reach out for his Mother's delicate form, with one hand, only to be blocked by the black gloved hand of Yazoo, grasping his wrist.

"I am sure Aeris would prefer to bathe alone Kadaj," Yazoo stated quietly.

"Bathe…. alone?" the teen replied slowly, looking momentarily deflated and a little saddened by such a strange idea. "Oh…" the teen sighed with genuine disappointment, as he slowly removed his wrist from his Brother's loose hold. Nevertheless, the light receded only slightly in the teen's eyes for a moment, only to return just as brightly. "Alright then Mother. I will see if there's any hot water to use for a bath here, and then I will try and get the lighting sorted in this place since there's no electricity. Hm…if worse comes to worst, I will try and light some candles, or we could use some materia to make you comfortable here. Is that alright Mother?"

Aeris could not will herself to reply.

"Oh and Mother," the teen continued on eagerly. "If you want, I can bathe first, and then run you one straight after, or would you rather bathe first?" the young warrior offered with a warm grin as he raised his arms over his head. "It's really up to you…I really don't mind," the teen admitted with a small, innocent shrug.

"….." Aeris did not deign him with a verbal reply. Despite her earlier attempts to fight it, the flower girl's mind became ensnarled in the image of Kadaj's earlier offer of cascading blood and water, and of flesh and silver enmeshed in a forbidden dance. Aeris paled. She held a hand over her mouth and shook her head. She felt like she was going to vomit!

"You are still dripping blood all over the place Kadaj," Yazoo spoke in the dark, drawing his sibling's attention from the brunette and back onto him.. "Wouldn't it be more prudent for you Kadaj, to get back into your 'Mother's' good graces by getting yourself clean first?"

The teen sent an odd look towards his elder Brother. "Only if that is what Mother wishes," the teen responded simply, before turning his attention back towards the petite female. "So what will it be Mother? Bathe now or bathe later?"

The only thing Aeris wanted at that moment was true escape from the madness. A moment where she could channel her thoughts. Kneeling on the floor as she was, the brunette's legs felt like jelly and she did not trust herself to move just yet. In truth, all the terrified brunette wanted to do was hide under the covers and cry.

"Later…" Aeris murmured eventually, as she rubbed her hands over her stomach feeling queasy at the stickiness she found there…And knowing what it was…almost made her re-decide. "You...you have a bath first Kadaj."

The teen smiled fondly at the brunette's answer, feeling warmth well up in his insides. His Mother was always so loving to him. "If that is what you wish. I will bathe first," the teen said quite sweetly. In a flash, the young bloodied teen darted towards Aeris. Yazoo instinctively tried to grab his Brother away from the teen's target, but Kadaj danced past his sibling to press a soft, bloodied kiss on the crown of his Mother's head. 'I love you,' Kadaj mouthed across her forehead before swiftly dancing away.

Other than a weak inhalation of breath.

And an instinctive flex of her fingers.

Aeris made no motion or sound.

When the teen calmly turned to make his way towards the exit of the room, Yazoo observed the wide, devilish smile stretched across his sibling's face with a deep, grim frown.

"And I promise I won't take too long in the bath Mother," Kadaj stated softly, before slipping through the portal and closing the door behind him. "I'll be back before you know it."

0o0

"…."

And then the room became silent once more…

"…."

The two remaining occupants watched the broken window, and listened to the whistling winds of the dark night outside, which only made the room feel as cold, as they both felt emotionally. Instinctively, Aeris began to move towards the only source of warmth in the room. Yazoo's silhouette.

"Don't come any closer to me Aeris," the gunman commanded her bluntly, causing the brunette to freeze mid-step.

The force of Yazoo's voice was enough to make Aeris tear up then and there. "B-but w-why?" The brunette voiced quite timidly.

"There is broken glass on the floor near me," the gunman explained in a passive tone, as he gestured down to the twinkling shards that the brunette could not see.

Aeris stared down at the soles of her own bare feet, then towards the strong booted feet of Yazoo. When the brunette's gaze locked the gunman's once more, the flower girl's quite literally begged him with her eyes to move towards her.

"Y-Yazoo?"

But the gunman calmly turned his detached gaze away from the brunette's person, and instead pivoted his attention towards beyond the window, to the cold snowy night outside.

Realising that the gunman had no intention in comforting her, Aeris made a sound half way between a sigh and a sob, before wearily turning back towards the bed, crawling into it, and hiding herself away from the cold and cruelty of the world beyond.

0o0

A small moment afterwards, a small voice called out from beneath the covers.

"Yazoo?"

But Aeris received no reply.

And so she called out to the gunman once more

"….."

Still nothing.

When Aeris peeked towards the large, broken window, Aeris allowed a tear to drip sullenly down her face.

It was obvious why Yazoo could no longer answer her.

For he was no longer there…

Aeris felt her body curl in on itself, realising that the gunman had escaped out the window. A cold, emotional shudder juddered up the young female's spine.

She felt so alone right now.

And sheknew there was no one who she could turn to.

Aeris knew there was no one around her who cared enough to understand her plight.

Kadaj's mind was lost in his own warped, misplaced loyalty to her.

And Yazoo did not even share the emotional capacity to care.

And then there was Sephiroth…

The young female sniffled pitifully into her knees.

Everything seemed so hopeless…

And yet the Planet expected her to remain strong.

To stand up and fight against the dark!

But Aeris felt so trapped by her duty…by her cursed Cetra blood, which ran through her veins.

"I just want this to end…

I just want all this madness to end," Aeris whispered to herself.

Soon the silence of the room and whistling of the cold wind outside was interrupted by the sound of running water. Aeris wasn't sure if she imagining it, but eventually she swore she could hear the sound of what sounded like Kadaj happily humming '_The Chocobo Theme'_ from the bathroom beyond the wall.

That was the last straw.

This pain was just too much to bear

'_Kwee-Kwee…'_

Aeris promptly burst into tears.

0o0

_**Well. I, as going to write more but I think you guys have waited too long. Hmm…I really don't know what to say. It seems every time I write Kadaj's character, he seems to turn more deviant than I expect. As for Yazoo, poor guy. I'm surprised he did not leave the room earlier. It must be heart wrenching listening to your sibling talking about what he would do if someone hurt Aeris…especially with the sick job Aeris has given him to do.**_

_**Anywho guys, let me know what you think of this chapter and what you might think will happen when Kadaj, Aeris and Yazoo reach the forgotten city.**_

_**Anywho don't forget to review x Would love to read what you guys think of this updatex**_

_**Have a nice day!**_

_**Aer_seph4eva**_


	8. Forsaken Walk

**To Love an Ancient 3: The Last Seven Days: An Aeris and Sephiroth Finale.**

**Words 4058**

**Pages 16**

**Chapter 8: A Forsaken Walk **

**Disclaimer**

Nope, I don't own Final Fantasy 7...but I sometimes adopt their kawaii bishounens! (Most specifically the silvered haired kind.)

**Author's Notes**

_**Nothing much to report other than Happy New Year Guys! **_

_**Super short chappy dedicated to our fave Silver Haired Gunner X**_

_**Now on with the fic!**_

**Warning dark dark darrrrrrrk x **

**Musical Muses**

Over clocked remix OC2249 Weeping Shards FFIX

Over clocked remix: OCR01704 FFVII- Harmony of Destruction

Vide cor meum: Hannibal

Trading Yesterday- Love Song Requiem

Future World Music – Vengeance

Tarja-Oasis

0o0

_Yazoo knew he was in hell…_

_He had to be…_

_For there was no place worse than this..._

_0o0_

Yazoo knew his path had finally been laid bare for him, for his feet had nowhere else to go. Death greeted him, as he stared far along the cobbled, moonlit road. It seemed no matter where he looked the broken bodies of both men and beast lay mangled and contorted within the cold, bloody snow.

"….…"

The pale gunman exhaled weakly, his disturbed eyes slowly moving towards his left, to catch sight of a headless officer, half crushed beneath the remains of a still burning car. Then ever so slowly, the lone warrior shifted his phosphorus gaze back towards his right, to catch sight of a severed human torso, splayed out across the crimson dappled snow.

'_Kadaj…' _

The name was whispered ever so softly in his mind, even as more lonely flecks of white continued to fall eerily down from above.

'_Was any of this really necessary?'_

The pale male shook his head. Silently broken, and void of all hope, the pale warrior forced himself to stride past the many lifeless forms of flesh. '_There are just so many…' _It seemed no matter where he walked, Yazoo could not escape the unnerving truth that Kadaj would _kill_ anyone for _Her, _and not just potential men out to harm her. Whether it was a small dog…. A young misguided male…or an old woman merely standing in the wrong place at the wrong time….

The gunman gritted his teeth, and forced himself to continue on, even as greater anxieties tried to irrationalise his mind, and unhinge his fears…fears Yazoo knew he could not face right now.

'_And it does not matter where I go….or what I do…._

…

_I will never be able to run from this…_

…

_All I'm doing now is postponing my time…._

…

_For there is no escape…'_

…

'_Will I ever be free?'_

Suddenly Yazoo froze…

And his gaze turned downwards…

And Yazoo truly stared…

It was clear his dear Brother had done his job well on this specific human. That was as much as Yazoo could truly discern. Tilting his head to one side, Yazoo felt all conscious thought leave him, as he gazed down at the parted flesh, the unwinding trail of pink intestines and other human refuse, crudely splashed out across the red soaked pavement.

"…."

The warrior shuddered weakly, while mako orbs bled with a deep and tortured emotion.

0o0

'_Will this be how I meet my end Kadaj?_

…_._

_Will you force me to endure the full extent of your hate…?_

…_._

_Torture me and break me…_

…_._

_Til my body resembles nothing more than this useless mess of blood…? '_

0o0

Suddenly Yazoo lurched over to one side, and all too soon, the sound of wet retching and violent hacking filled the cold, twilight air.

"…_."_

Unsteadily wiping his mouth with a slightly trembling hand, Yazoo mentally cursed the growing weakness of his own constitution. Unusually sensitive, and emotionally rattled by the unsolvable anxieties running rampant in both his mind and body, the weary warrior stumbled up and away from the disembowelled corpse. Thoughts of blood and vengeance tormented him, and the more death Yazoo encountered on the streets, the more he silently despaired.

'_For none of these fights really needed to happen here,_

_Did they Kadaj…?_

_We both know you could have easily travelled across the rooftops undetected._

_But then…you told me so yourself…_

_You weren't trying to avoid any of these fights, were you little Brother….?_

_No…_

_You intended to engage them all.'_

_**0o0**_

"_**Because I love you Mother and only you… **_

_**And only a loyal son would do this for you. **_

_**Only a loyal son would wish to protect you so… **_

_**Even if I have to kill every man in this world to keep you safe Mother, **_

_**I would do so gladly…"**_

_**0o0  
**_

"_Kadaj…." _Yazoo exhaled softly, as more lonely flakes of white continued to descend gently down from above, adding a melancholy aura of sadness around the pale, despondent male. '_If only you possessed the true capacity to understand __**Her**__ Little Brother…if only you could see the true spite of __**Her**__ will….'_

Eventually, the gunman raised his soft mako gaze upwards, to face the snowy twilight sky, his pale lips lilting into a pained, yet gentle smile. For deep down, the pale warrior knew that because of _Her_, he would never escape the madness of his future. For the moment Yazoo gazed up beyond the lonely heavens, all Yazoo could focus on, all Yazoo could think about, was the apocalyptic red flare of Meteor, staining the cold, dark night with a foreboding taste of the end.

"I hate you Aeris…" Yazoo decided eventually, as his gaze and thoughts grew all the more lonely and dark. "Why do you allow Kadaj to cling to false hope of a happy future, and yet absolve me of my own? ….. At least if you allowed Meteor to fall down upon us all… then Kadaj could not blame me for your death…"

'_And we would all go together…'_

"…."

'_Is this what true damnation feels like?'  
_

Tears of pent up frustration burned the backs of the gunman's lids.

But the pale warrior refused to let them fall.

"…"

Then ever so calmly, Yazoo closed his eyes.

"…."

For he did not want to see anymore.

He did not want to think, nor feel anymore.

And so Yazoo closed off his mind.

He closed off his entire heart from being penetrated by the cold winter's chill.

Then ever so slowly, the pained warrior began to move once more. He walked with no true direction…and towards no real destination.

_**0o0**_

'_**Hic-hic-sob-sob.'**_

_**0o0  
**_

And then Yazoo paused mid-step.

'?'

Mako eyes slid painfully open. Yazoo swore he heard a strange combination of sounds off to his left hand side….

Metallic rattling and….crying…?

'_?'_

Yazoo knew it must have been his abject sense of curiosity, which made him turn away from his current blood soaked path of death, and instead, approach the dimly lit alleyway. 'Hn?' As the gunman moved closer, the strange sound of scraping and weeping seemed to grow even louder. Yazoo's mako eyes cautiously darted from one side of the empty alleyway, and then slowly back towards the other. '_Odd.' _The gunman mused to himself. Other than recycling bins and metal dustbins, there was nothing of visible interest to find.

And so the gunman made the motion to turn away…

"_Hic-Hic..sob-sob.*rattle-rattle* sniff-sniff."_

The pale male immediately froze and pivoted himself back around. '?' If Yazoo did not know any better, he would have assumed the strange weeping sounds were coming out from behind one of the metal dustbins. '_No not behind…._' Yazoo quickly realised, as he carefully approached one of the nearest four foot bins. '_It sounds like it's coming from __**inside**__?'_

"….."

Yazoo could only blame his next action on his morbid sense of curiosity, as he impulsively reached out, and opened the lid of the nearest bin.

However, when he did…

Blotched and bloodshot eyes gleamed up from within, of a frightened, yet highly unwelcome _indigo_.

'_You!'  
_

It was only due to the gunman's extensive experience of remaining calm within a crisis that prevented the surprised warrior from immediately withdrawing Velvet Nightmare, and gunning the small, damnable thing inside, into tiny, bloody pieces. Instead, Yazoo's nostrils flared out, and no sooner than Yazoo had opened the lid, he crashed it back down once more.

'_Unbelievable_…' The gunman briefly shook his head in mild shock, taking two unsteady steps backwards.

'_How did Rio get in there? Why was she in there? Did someone put her in there? Or did she put herself in there?'_ There were dozens of questions and possibilities, which most normal men would have paused to contemplate on sighting a small, strange girl, hiding inside a large dust-bin.

However Yazoo was not like most normal men.

And so the gunman made himself slowly turn away.

"H-help me." The small voice in the bin wept oh so tearfully. "P-please…h-help me.."

'…_Hn… I think I would be doing every dead man in this town a favour by returning this whorish piece of trash back to the Planet,' _the gunman mused quite darkly.

"H-help..help me…" The small voice still continued to cry out. "P-please…Whoever is out there, I…I don't want to d-d-ie out here alone…so please-please…please help me…please oh for the love of God please…"

'_Help you_…?' Yazoo repeated Rio's words in his mind.

'_There is no-one out here to help you now, you foolish girl… _

_For Meteor has forsaken us all…_

_Unless you are seeking someone _

_who_ _is kind enough to end your suffering before Meteor falls…?_

_Hm_…

_I am sure there might be a couple of hungry dogs left out here, who might appreciate a rather unexpected snack…'_

The gunman shook his head at such an absurd thought.

'_Such foolishness… _

_How could any dog feast on her,_

_When Kadaj has cleared the streets of all their life?_

…

…

_Hm_…

…

_Kadaj… _

…

_Now that's a thought…._

…

_Maybe I should bring this fool back to Kadaj…?_

_Hn-hn._

_I can only imagine the kind of things my dear little Brother would want to do to her…..'_

0o0

"'_**Fucking disgusting bitch.**_ _**I want her DEAD!"**_

0o0

As the gunman's thoughts grew all the more vile and dark, black booted footsteps began to slowly stride back towards the four foot container.

'Help! H-help me!" The girl continued to rattle out from within the bin.

The lines on the gunman's face tightened cruelly, while his right hand moved towards his cold, Velvet Nightmare. Yazoo knew it would be so easy…Too enjoyably easy…

"!"

And so the gunman reacted without thinking. Raising one of his large booted feet, Yazoo did not hesitate to smash it right against the side of the bin! The gunman inwardly smirked, hearing a rather self-satisfying screech from within, as the bin flew up and into the air for a scarce few seconds, before inevitably crashing back down to earth, the lid flying off, revealing all the sick, twisted contents inside.

"Humph," Yazoo grunted to himself, as his cold, mako gaze ingested the pitiful sight before him. Bending down to gaze deep inside the dirty container, all Yazoo could perceive of the fool was a smelly mass of dirty, burnt, yellow hair. If the gunman was in a better frame of mind, he might have even dared to smile at the pathetic state of this despicable female. After all, the presentation of the fool seemed all too fitting of the inner nature she could scarcely conceal within.

'_Trash…Pure trash…' _The gunman mused to himself, as he watched the filthy female turn her head upwards, her face half hidden by the wild, burnt mess that was her hair.

Then ever so slowly, arctic mako green met wide and terrified indigo.

"…Hn, now isn't this a _pleasant_ surprise?" Yazoo drawled out in a pseudo-gentle tone, even as his eyes hardened with a clear and deadly intent.

"Who-?"

Unfortunately for Rio, the dimly lit alleyway did not generate enough light for the young waitress to see. "W-who's there…? Who are you?" Rio coughed feebly into the dark, all the while gripping her head in pain. The poor girl's body still ached and burned from running away from the fire at Shiva's, and now her head was dizzy and disorientated from her sudden tumble and fall.

'_Who am I?'_ Yazoo purposely took a step backwards, and towards the nearest lamppost, allowing the silver of his hair to catch the dim, noir light.

"N-n…" The waitress' indigo eyes dilated with instant recognition. "N-n-n-o.." Rio garbled on a half-choked breath, shaking her head side to side in genuine fright and half-tortured disbelief.

The gunman could already feel his lips lilting into a small, dangerous smile, bereft of all warmth and kindness. "No?" Yazoo echoed patronisingly back at the blonde, as he knelt himself by the bin, to observe the small mess of the creature, who was trying so desperately to shrink herself away from his narrow eyed stare. "Hn. Indeed…I guess you are right in a way. For there is nothing pleasant about you, is there?" The gunman stated calmly, as he idly gestured to the bruised banana skin, and other nameless sludge currently adorned across the female's rather dirty uniform.

"Y-ou-….y-ouu…" Rio sputtered brokenly, as her eyes began to grow wet with very real fear.

"I-what?" The gunman stated calmly, trying not to inhale the strange, burnt and unsanitary smells surrounding the small, disgusting creature. Yazoo had already been sick once this night. He had no intention of being sick again.

The blonde gulped tearfully and shook her head. "Y-y-o-u-u…Y-y-o-u…" Rio closed her eyes. She could not control the tremors of her cold and frightened lips. "Y-o-u-u… Y-o-u-u…"

Yazoo frowned deeply. As much as he enjoyed frightening this pathetic and rather useless female, he was quickly becoming bored. So with one gloved hand, the tall, pale warrior violently grabbed a wild bunch of the blonde's smelly, yellow hair and tugged viciously upwards.

"!"

Rio screeched out quite painfully, causing the gunman to tug even harder, as a form of harsh reprimand. "Get out," Yazoo enforced rather quietly, as he cruelly dragged Rio out of the bin, tossing her small and defenceless form across the rough, icy pavement. The gunman's eyes remained cold and unsympathetic, as he stood back to his full height, watching silently as the blonde screamed and rolled rather helplessly across the unforgiving ice, before slowing to an eventual yet uncomfortable stop, her limbs sprawled out in every direction, while her head lay face-down, and helpless in the snow.

"Hn." The gunman snorted. What a truly pitiful picture this useless girl made before him. Yazoo had never seen a sight more pathetic.

0o0

_But then the image of an all too familiar woman…_

_flashed_ _through the pale warrior's memory._

0o0

"!"

No sooner than Yazoo had thought of '_Her'_, the form of the weak blonde female began to slowly dissipate before his very eyes. Gone was the blonde harlot. Gone was the sludge. Gone was the grime. Instead all Yazoo could perceive… all he could see was '_Her'_. Gone was the indigo. In its place was a deep and fathomless green…an unending shade of colour, which bled with the most unsettling of emotions. Gone was the leather. Gone was every scrap of fabric which held the female's body privy to his eerily bright and burning gaze.

'_My God…'_

The gunman took a hesitant step away from the fallen female in shock. '_This cannot be real…'_ And yet the gunman could not for the life of him turn his damnable eyes away from the frightfully raw sight that was '_Her'_. Whether it was the sight of _her_ long, flowing hair, or _her_ lily white skin… the parted coral lips, or _her_ small pebbled nipples…

The gunman feebly shook his head. His eyes were impressively wide in shock. He took another step backwards, surprised when a shy, stuttered sound of longing whined itself from the back of throat.

_**0o0**_

'_**To want what you can never have….**_

_**To touch what you can never feel…**_

...

_**Yazoo…**_

_**Is this the true source of your hate?'**_

_**0o0**_

As the gunman's eyes grew all the more foreboding and dark, Yazoo was unaware of the moment an all too familiar transition began. It was a frightening dissention of his mind, an unwelcoming transfiguration of '**His'** will, an entity that not even the Planet could dissemble apart, unto his own. Yazoo no longer felt like Yazoo. He no longer knew who, or what he was. All Yazoo knew was that it was getting so much easier to relent his thoughts and feelings unto _**Him**_. He could no longer feel any pain in this process now. For _**His**_ words, _**His**_ thoughts, _**His**_ feelings…..seemed so startlingly similar to his own. The warrior could feel his eyes growing heavy. They were drooping with emotional fatigue.

_**0o0**_

'_**We cannot allow Gaia to take her from us Puppet.**_

_**We cannot allow Gaia to have her.**_

_**Puppet, heed my words.**_

_**Do not allow Aeris to walk down this path of Sacrifice**_

_**Do not allow Aeris to submit to Gaia's will…**_

_**For it is only through me that she can truly live.**_

_**Guide her back to me…**_

…

_**Return her to me…**_

…

_**For it will only be through Her,**_

_**That I can grant you what you truly desi-'**_

_**0o0**_

"!"

A sudden pain shot through the gunman's left breast…

0o0

'What the?'

Startled mako orbs flickered with vulnerable emotion, when 'Her' soft green orbs before him suddenly dissolved back into wide indigo, and wild brunette locks shifted back into a sick, filthy blonde. Unable to comprehend the strange transition that had just happened before his very eyes, but all too aware that the female now standing before him was most definitely not 'Her', Yazoo did the only thing he could think to do…He retreated backwards. But one step back was all that it took to alert the gunman to the deep and pulsating pain currently bleeding out from his left pectoral.

The gunman stared downwards, between himself and the girl, his mind disconnected to all manner of things, except the sight of the girl's right hand gripping a small blade hilt against his breast, and the vague, hot dribble of his own life blood currently trickling a thin path down his lean torso.

_'Huh? I'm…bleeding?'_

Ever so slowly, confused green mako, met wide, stunned indigo.

**0o0**

**Rio's P.O.V: Few Moments Previous**

**0o0  
**

While Yazoo remained lost within his own internal confliction, Rio struggled to rise up from her fallen position, moving painfully up and onto her knees. All the while, her black smeared orbs remained fixed on the mentally disturbed male, whose eyes, while on her, seemed sightless to the real world before him.

'Now's my chance!'

With fright and fear driving her next actions forward, the weak blonde sought out the only manner of defence she had on her person, a small kitchen knife she had taken out from Shivas, just before the walls began to burn and fall down all around her. In a lightening flash of speed, quicker than the girl's body had ever dared to move before, Rio instinctively lunged forward with her blade hand, and blindly threw her arm out towards her target.

**_0o0_**

**_0o0 Stab 0o0_**

**_0o0  
_**

Rio shook her head, as her hand retracted from the hilt. Before Rio realised what she was doing, she was stumbling backwards in the snow, her now bloodied hand rising up to cover up her own throat. "You deserved that!" Rio shouted out spitefully at the wounded male, all too observant of the way Yazoo made no attempt to retaliate or even approach her. If anything, he appeared to be frozen with surprise. "You psychotic git! That's what you get for destroying my life! For destroying my home! I hope you die from that wound you-you sick twisted bastard!" Rio spat out angrily and spitefully, as she backed even further away from the motionless male

In all her rage, Rio was unaware that words had struck a deep chord within the pale male. Her eclipsing depth of hate for him reminded Yazoo of his Brother's chaotic rage.

The gunman shuddered slightly.

Yazoo could only imagine his Brother's reaction to Her death…

0o0

"_**Y-you killed her…"**_

"_Kadaj..I…I…didn't mean-"_

"_**YOU KILLED HER! **_

_**YOU FUCKING SICK TWISTED BASTARD YOU KILLED MY MOTHER!"**_

"_Kadaj..listen-"_

"_**NO! I WILL NOT LISTEN! **_

_**I WILL NEVER LISTEN TO ANYTHING YOU HAVE TO SAY! **_

_**MOTHER WAS ALL THAT I LIVED FOR AND YOU KILLED HER! **_

_**YOU TOOK HER AWAY FROM ME!**_

_**FOR THAT I HATE YOU BROTHER! SO MUCH MORE THAN ANYONE ELSE ON THIS PLANET!"**_

'_Kadaj…please list-'_

"_**OH FUCK OFF YAZOO! I HAVE NO MORE TO SAY TO YOU, YOU TRAITOROUS BASTARD!"**_

"_You misunderstand-"_

"_**NO! YOU MISUNDERSTAND! I DON'T WANT TO TALK TO YOU! I DON'T WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! ALL I WANT FROM YOU IS YOUR DEATH!"**_

"_Brother…"_

"_**DON'T YOU DARE CALL ME THAT! YOU ARE NO LONGER MY BROTHER! AND BECAUSE OF YOU I NO LONGER HAVE A MOTHER!**_

_**I NO LONGER HAVE A FAMILY! **_

_**YOU DESERVE TO DIE YAZOO! **_

_**YOU DESERVE TO DIE SLOWLY AND PAINFULLY!**_

_**AND I WONT GRANT YOU ANY MERCY YAZOO!**_

_**I WILL NOT MAKE IT QUICK!**_

_**I WILL MAKE YOU WATCH AS I CUT YOUR BODY OPEN!**_

_**AND I WILL LAUGH AS I PLAY WITH YOUR BLOOD!"**_

'_Kadaj w-wait!"_

"_**TOO LATE FOR MERCY!"**_

"_Stop!"_

**"_DIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"  
_**

0o0

Yazoo was not aware of the moment Rio had left him to bleed in that small alley. Nor did Yazoo remember slipping down to the ground and covering his face with his hands, as useless tears he had held back for years, began to drip down through the cracks of his fingers.

A long time passed before Yazoo found the strength of will to move away from his current isolated spot. It took even longer to find the will to remove the blade out from his chest. "If only that fool aimed a little higher, and a little deeper…." Yazoo muttered quite morosely, as he allowed himself to inhale but a single breath, before violently wrenching the knife out from his left breast. The gunman hissed painfully, his wet mako eyes clenching with visible agony, as he watched a weak splay of his own crimson blood flash through the air.

'_Gods it hurts to breathe…'_

Grasping his wound with a free hand, Yazoo felt his entire body sway dangerously, as he stood up and stumbled out of the alley, and back onto the main road. With each faltered step he took, an acute pain lanced through the gunman's breast. '_Shit_.' The gunman breathed shallowly, as he tried to condition his mind to his current agony of the flesh.

'_Focus Yazoo, You should be used to chronic pain by now. After all, was it not less than two days ago that you swam through the lifestream with Kadaj's Souba inside of you? Let's not forget that it was you who ended up driving down a cliff-side in an intense blizzard with two bloody puncture holes in your chest?' _

Yazoo gritted his teeth and continued to stumble onwards with a hand to his chest, bypassing the crimson snow, and the countless dead bodies, before recognising a familiar fork in the road. At the sight of it, Yazoo knew that if he turned left twice, and went down the right path at the next hundred yards, he would undoubtedly lead himself back towards the house where _She_ and Kadaj were currently located.

The gunman sighed, as he turned left and continued down the bloodied path. Yazoo knew that if he had a choice, he would have left both Aeris and Kadaj to sort out their own mental problems by themselves. But Yazoo knew he had no choice. He never had a choice in that regard. His will had always been eclipsed by His, and by Hers…..even Kadaj's.

'_For, Sephiroth wants me to return Aeris to him alive,_

_While Aeris wants me to help her end her life…_

_and_ _throughout all of this, Kadaj remains none the wiser….'_

As Yazoo approached the familiar house, he walked up the familiar steps to reach a rather familiar door. But before he reached the handle of the door, it was thrown open, and a familiar pair of blazing green eyes appeared before him.

Yazoo barely had time to look surprised when Kadaj flew out at him and grabbed his shoulders with both his hands.

"Where is she Brother? Where's Mother?"

0o0

**_Super short x but I really wanted to update this fic x_**

**_Tell me what you think you guys and I'll continue onto ch9_**

**_Aer_seph4eva _**


	9. Brotherly Love

**To Love an Ancient 3: The Last Seven Days: An Aeris and Sephiroth Finale.**

**Words 3518**

**Pages 10**

**Chapter 9 Brotherly Love **

**Disclaimer**

**Nope, I don't own Final Fantasy 7...but I sometimes adopt their kawaii bishounens! (Most specifically the silvered haired kind.)**

**Author's Notes**

_Have to say thank you to my loyal supporters. Glad to know you are still enjoying this ficcy, despite the fact that the narrative seems so much more maudlin these days._

**Warning**

_Taboo language amongst the two warring Brothers._

_Disturbing obsessive themes of love_

_Usual apocalyptic themes_

_**Musical Muses x**_

_Two Steps From Hell: Am I Not Human?_

_OC Remix #1349: Final Fantasy VIII 'Everything = Nothing'_

_Anywho enough of my random words and on with the fic!_

"!"

Yazoo had no time to respond before Kadaj launched himself upon him, grasping his shoulders tightly, and shaking his body with strong, erratic jerks. The gunman hissed loudly, his vision momentarily flashing to a deep excruciating white, as his chest continued to bleed out, while his tolerance for pain began to rapidly lessen.

"Where is she Yazoo? Where have you taken Mother**?"** the teen screamed desperately into the older gunman's face, completely oblivious to his Brother's current agony, and only too conscious of his own.

'_Taken her?'_

'_You mean she is no longer here?'_

The gunman could not conceal the surprised constriction of his pupils.

"Nowhere," Yazoo answered honestly, as his mind whirled with both confusion and alarm. From the young teen's words, the gunman's inner calm had long since gone. Now the warrior had no idea what was going on anymore. '_Does this mean Aeris has abandoned her plan to die?'_

"You lie!" Kadaj snapped harshly; disbelievingly at his elder Brother, his worry edging into a greater state of hysteria, as he angrily shook his elder sibling once more for answers. "I left Mother in the same room as you Brother! When I returned you were both gone! So answer me! Where did you take her?"

'…'

'_Nowhere.'_

As Kadaj continued to violently shake Yazoo for the answers he could not seem to give, all the while, the gunman could feel his body weakening. His face was progressively growing paler. His vision seemed to be deteriorating. It certainly did not help how the teen's irrational rage was adding to the warrior's growing agony; an agony that could not be contained within the realms of the flesh.

"GODDAMNIT! ANSWER ME YAZOO! WHERE IS MOTHER?"

"I do not know…" Yazoo answered with a voice strained by pain.

"I KNOW THAT'S BULLSHIT BROTHER! NOW GIVE ME A REAL ANSWER! WHERE IS MOTHER?"

The gunman's gaze began to progressively darken.

The more Kadaj shook him, the more Yazoo could feel his own resolve weakening.

Another shake and Yazoo could taste a mixture of blood and bile on his tongue.

Yazoo knew Kadaj was acting too irrational to listen to a single word of truth.

And so he remained mute of sound.

"…."

Unfortunately, the gunman's silence only served to rile the teen up even more.

"**YAZOO STOP FUCKING AROUND WITH ME AND TELL ME WHERE SHE IS!"**

'_I do not know…'_ Yazoo silently repeated to himself, as he felt his body begin to slowly sway from growing blood loss. The warrior was genuinely hurting. Only Kadaj could be blind to the crimson pool growing beneath their feet, growing increasingly larger with each unsteady drip of blood. The gunman's eyes smarted faintly. To be forced to cope with such agony alone. It was an unbearable torture.

Not that Kadaj would notice or even care about the woes of his own Brother.

And why would Kadaj need to care?

Kadaj had found everything he ever wanted…. in _**Her**_.

By finding _**Her**_, Kadaj had reached his true pinnacle of happiness….

…

'_But as for me….'_

The gunman's eyes began to grow hooded, and a heavy emotion not dissimilar to hate began to rise out from the shadows of his thoughts.

'_It is true. From meeting you Aeris, I have reached my own zenith._

_A zenith of suffering..._

_A suffering that is so great, that even when Aeris is not physically present…_

_She still manages to cause me so much pain….'_

***CRACK***

The gunman's eyes widened in surprise, and a small tortured smile began to leak across his mouth. Kadaj had twisted both their bodies around so that the gunman's back was now facing the house. The loud crack currently reverberating within his head, Yazoo soon realised, was the sound of his own skull, hitting against the frame of the door.

"_**WHERE IS SHE!"**_

"'**I DO NOT KNOW!"** Yazoo suddenly exploded, as the last vestiges of self-control escaped him . The transformation was instant. Gone was the rational man. Yazoo's once tired eyes were now warped beyond all reasoning. Kadaj, suddenly shocked by the immediate change of his usually reticent Brother, could barely utter a cry of alarm when the taller male used his entire strength to reverse the teen's hold on him, crushing the swordsman's smaller hands within his own. Kadaj, still in shock at this unexpected turn, was even more surprised when Yazoo had the nerve to successfully kick his feet out from beneath him. Skidding and slipping on the bloody ice below, and falling down to his knees, the teen yelped in raw surprise when Yazoo twisted his arms behind his back, and stomped a heavy boot over his tailbone, forcing him down to the floor.

"Fuck! What the hell are you doing Yazoo! Get your foot off me you fucking psycho!" Kadaj snarled out in alarm, struggling to get up by lashing his legs out in desperation. But Yazoo was having none of it.

"Kadaj, I've had enough of your idiotic shit for one night." The gunman spoke quietly, yet clearly. His usually modulated voice trembling with an emotional strain no man deserved to bear alone.

"YAZOO LET ME GO!"

"Silence!" The pale warrior's chest rose and fell in an unsteady rhythm of pain. "Kadaj, you really don't know how close I am to breaking both of your goddamn arms." The gunman emphasised his point by jerking the teen's wrists behind him, causing Kadaj to cry out in protest. "And shoving my boot straight through your spine." The gunman pressed his foot down even harder against the teen's tailbone. "So feel free to provoke me Little Brother. Come on Kadaj. Say something to anger me. Call me a liar. Come on, I dare you."

The young male growled angrily beneath him, his pupils narrowing into sharp, painful slits. "Yazoo! Let. Me. Go!" Kadaj hissed violently, as he tried to kick his feet out, jerking and bucking his torso back and forth from the ground, doing anything he could to be free.

"I will not let you go Kadaj. Not until you listen, and listen good," Yazoo reprimanded Kadaj with another vicious tug of his arms. The gunman's grip was absolute. His boot was unmoving. Kadaj quickly realised that his Brother had trapped him.

"Just let me go Yazoo! Let me go you bastard!"

"Not until you listen to me," the gunman repeated back to his hot headed Brother. Yazoo knew he had to think of a way to pacify his Brother quickly, for his strength was vastly waning. "Kadaj! Stop fighting me! Do not treat me like your enemy! I am family Brother! You care about family, don't you? We do not need to fight each other! "

The teen's kicking did not stop, however Yazoo noticed the strength behind his Brother's attacks were slowly beginning to lessen.

"Listen to your Brother Kadaj! Deep down, you know I cannot lie to you about anything! Trust me Kadaj. I would never lie to you, as I know you would never lie to me..."

Kadaj angrily thumped his head listlessly against the ground. His eyes were still seething, but his yells had significantly diminished, as had his earlier struggling.

"~~~~~~~~~"

"?" Yazoo heard a distinct mumble from his Brother, the words nearly undecipherable against the cold, snowy ground. Nevertheless Yazoo managed to catch a gist of what his dear little Brother had muttered to him.

"Yes, Kadaj. I know. I know family is important to you, and that is why you are so upset here. I understand this, for I am your Brother. I know you are loyal to Mother and you care for her. Aeris…she is very important to you, isn't she?"

"~~~~~~~~~~"

Kadaj spoke once more, but the taller male did not catch his words. And so Yazoo leaned his body over the shorter teen, straining to hear the words muffled within the snow. "What did you say Kadaj?"

"S-sh' m-m- 'orld…" A crushed voice emerged from beneath Yazoo's boot.

Yazoo sighed deeply, his grip on Kadaj weakening even further. " Yes, I know Kadaj. I know… Aeris is your world. Trust me, I think I understand this more than anyone else ever could."_ 'For it's the main reason why my mind's in such fucking shambles right now.' _

"Kadaj, I want to let go of you now, so we can continue our conversation like the civilised Brothers that we are. Or do you prefer talking with me, with your lips pressed against the ground? It's your choice Little Brother."

Yazoo watched as Kadaj shifted his head slightly, to snap a frigid glare towards him, from within the pale sheath of his bangs.

"That's what I thought as well. But I do mean it Kadaj. I do not want to fight you here," Yazoo continued in a much more resigned tone. "Can I trust you not to attack me, when I let you go?"

The teen mumbled what Yazoo hoped was a yes.

And so the warrior released his Brother's arms, and removed his boot from the teen's body. The moment the teen was free, Kadaj moved to rise. Yazoo calmly held out a hand to help his little Brother up, however the shorter male violently batted his arm away, rising up on his own.

"Kad- " Yazoo began, but Kadaj physically shoved the older male away from him, causing the taller male to stumble back slightly in surprise.

"You're such a bastard Yazoo," Kadaj muttered lowly, as he ran a pale hand over his own face, momentarily breaking eye contact with his elder Brother.

"I know," the gunman agreed, noticing how the ire in the teen's voice had lessened significantly. "But I think most sane people would respond the same way I did, if they were accosted on the doorstep by their own Brother."

"…but she's gone Yazoo," Kadaj retaliated weakly, as if those words were reason enough to attack his own sibling.

"…I gathered that," Yazoo answered in a more careful tone, his right hand cradling his chest, as he watched Kadaj try and control the urge to break down then and there.

"So you…..you don't know where Mother is Brother?" Kadaj questioned Yazoo in a rather shaky and nervous tone, as he turned his face away, in an attempt conceal the watery texture of his eyes.

"No Kadaj…." Yazoo repeated yet again. His voice was steady, yet weary. _"_The last time I saw Aeris, she was laying upstairs in that bedroo-"

"BUT SHE'S NOT THERE NOW!" Kadaj suddenly raged to Yazoo, whirling around and revealing a crazed ferocity to his eyes. "And she isn't anywhere in the house!" The teen's brows furrowed with genuine distress. "I know! I've checked Brother! I've searched all over! I've looked in the cupboards, the attic, even the freezer!"

"…..…" Yazoo stared blankly at his Brother. "I doubt Aeris would be hiding in a freezer Kadaj."

"I know!" Kadaj snapped angrily. "I know. But…" Kadaj sniffled pitifully, bringing a clenched hand towards his mouth, biting down on his knuckles, and anchoring himself to the pain. "But I don't know why Mother has left Yazoo …or where she could have gone…or what time she will be back…" the teen muttered tragically to himself, turning his body to one side, his eyes looking dangerously close to tears. "I don't know what to do Yazoo!"

'_Nor do I…_' Yazoo thought quite morosely.

"Shit," Kadaj cursed to himself, as he rubbed a fist over his eyes. "Shit! Shit! Shit!"

'…'

The gunman grimaced weakly, his gaze growing all the more disturbed and forlorn, as he watched his sibling collapse down before him.

It truly hurt Yazoo to see Kadaj like this…

For Kadaj's emotions were always so easy to read. Too easy it read. The biggest problem was how Kadaj's needy emotions were so horribly infectious, and Yazoo knew there was nothing he could do, to assuage Kadaj of this very obvious psychosis. For Yazoo knew that Kadaj had willingly trapped himself within an illusion, born from a desperate need; a hopeless desire, which could never be made real.

'_And in a way…Aeris is to blame for my Brother's current madness…_

_For instead of confronting my Brother's feelings for her, _

_She has chosen to ignore them…_

_Just like she chooses to ignore mine…_

.….

…_.And now…she has gone…._

…

_Hn_…

…

_I guess…_

…

_Once again_

…_.._

_I have underestimated your capacity for cruelty Aeris….'_

"…"

Yazoo observed with uneasy eyes, as Kadaj willingly dropped himself down to the icy ground, fisted his hands over his face, and lost himself within the tragedy of his feelings.

'_Kadaj…'_

It was not for the first time that Yazoo wished he had been born blind.

'_A man blind to all grief, to all thought, and to all feeling…..'_

And so the gunman closed his eyes.

He did not want to see anymore.

'_Because I feel so lost and tired…._

…

_So damn tired of dealing with everyone else's bullshit…_

…_.and abstaining from my own._

…

_And right now, _

_All I want to do …._

_All I want to do… is find a place to lay down…_

_A place where I can sleep away the remaining hours that I have…._

_Before this bloody crimson sky decides to fall down above me…_

_And end my madness once and for all._

…_.._

_The gunman sighed deeply,_

_before opening his eyes to face the bleak reality before him. _

'_But…_

_As much as I have given up on myself…'_

_Yazoo's body was unconsciously moving towards Kadaj._

'…_I will never give up on you Little Brother._

_As long as I can draw air into my lungs_

_I will always be there for you Kadaj._

_Always…'_

_The gunman's arms were already reaching out to help his younger sibling._

"Kadaj…." Yazoo voiced so quietly, as he grasped the young male beneath his armpits, trying to help him rise up. However the younger teen was resisting him. "Come inside Little Brother. There's no point crying on the doorstep like this. Get some rest Kadaj. Your body needs it."

The gunman's words offer of rest served to heighten the teen's upset. "Oh shut the fuck up Yazoo!" The teen wept vilely. "Mother has gone missing and I don't know where she's gone…or when she's coming back…. If she's even coming back at all...The very last thing I'd want to do right now is sleep!"

The gunman released a histrionic sigh. "You might be able to think more logically if you slept Kadaj. Besides, if you are so worried about Aeris, why are you wasting time by crying Little Brother, when you could be using that same energy to find her?"

"….." Kadaj glared heatedly at his elder Brother's back, before finally relenting to the older male's will, and rising back to his feet.

"Fine then! We will look for Mother right now!" Kadaj snapped anxiously, his deep mako eyes threaded red by intense emotional strain. "And we will not sleep until we find her Yazoo."

"Hn." The gunman muttered with a weary sigh. Yazoo did not think he could hate his life anymore than he did right now.

"Let's split up and look for her now Brother!" Kadaj exclaimed vehemently, a passionate fire awakening within his eyes once more.

Yazoo stared wearily at his younger sibling. "Not now Kadaj," Yazoo responded tiredly. "Let me get some rest first."

"Rest?" Kadaj blinked owlishly at the elder male, as the teen finally noticed the blood on the older male, and the hand holding his left breast. "What happened Yazoo?"

"….you didn't kill everyone on the streets Kadaj. One caught me by surprise," Yazoo muttered as the image of the yellow haired tramp returned to the forefront of his memory.

"What?" The teen's face slackened, genuinely surprised by his Brother's answer. "But did you kill them?"

"….they got away," Yazoo answered evasively.

'….they got away…?' Kadaj's face paled as he realised the ramifications of his Brother's words hit him.

'_Mother has gone missing…_

_And there is a potential killer on the streets.'_

The teen's eyes snapped wide open with an anxious fright. Now was not the time to cry at all! Mother was in danger!

He had to find her! He had to find her NOW!

"Stay here and rest then Brother. I will comb over this town again and look for Mother! Even if I have to break into every damn house and cupboard to find her Yazoo, I will."

From the teen's words, Yazoo was suddenly flooded with images of his Brother smashing through the windows of unsuspecting families, throwing open every door, making everyone scream, and invading the privacies of those washing themselves in the shower, or even sitting on the toilet. After all, Yazoo knew Kadaj could be very thorough when he wanted to be.

"So stay here Yazoo, just in case Mother returns before I find her!" Kadaj shouted as he quickly began descending the steps from the house, three at a time. "For I will find her Yazoo. Mark my words. I will!"

"Hn." Yazoo nodded quietly. "How long will you stay out to look for her Kadaj?"

Kadaj gave his brother a look which said 'As long as it takes to find her, you retard.' "If I have not found Mother before sunrise, I will return to check to see whether she has already come back off her own will."

"And if she is not here?" Yazoo knew he did not need to voice the question aloud.

"Then I will go out and look for her again!" Kadaj snapped angrily, with a strength of focus that Yazoo knew he would never possess in an entire lifetime.

And so the elder warrior said nothing, silently watching as Kadaj ran away from the house, momentarily pausing on the long stretch of road before him. Left? Right? Kadaj turned left and Yazoo watched him until he disappeared out of sight. The gunman stared silently out at the empty road before going back into the house, and closing the broken door behind him. Now that Kadaj was gone, the tall male leant against the wooden frame for strength. He sighed wearily to himself, and thudded the back of his head against the wooden pane of the door. Once. Twice. Three times.

The gunman forced himself to breathe, to focus beyond the pain. Now that Kadaj was gone, Yazoo finally had a chance to rest. And so Yazoo stumbled away from the entrance, moving out of the hallway, up the stairs, his feet unconsciously leading him back to the bedroom where he last saw **Her**.

_When Yazoo entered t_he dark, cold room, it was exactly as he remembered. Shards of glass littered the floor. The bed was dishevelled and void of a certain brown haired demi-Cetra. Walking further into the room, the gunman noticed how even the brunette's large gaudy boots were missing. 'Hn.' It seemed Kadaj was indeed right. Aeris was no longer in the room. Yazoo did not know whether to see this truth as a blessing or an additional nuisance.

'_I guess there is no point in thinking about such things anymore…._

_I'm going to die either way..._

_Best to sleep…_

_To dream…._

_Dream and fade…..'_

The gunman winced. The chronic pain in his chest was certainly not lessening. Stumbling towards the large bed, Yazoo dropped himself down on the messy sheets, causing the mattress to sink down deeply beneath his weight.

'_**Oof**__.'_

"_!"_

Mako eyes flickered downwards in surprise. '_That was not the sound of a metal spring.'_

"**!"**

His body was moving long before his brain could even seem to follow. Yazoo impulsively crawled towards the edge of the bed, and leaned over the edge. He shoved the valance sheets away from view, and peered beneath their shadows of the bed, to catch a familiar pair of wide, frightened eyes, glimmering back at him from within the dark.

'_Aeris_?'

Yazoo's pupils constricted, as he stared down at the small, vulnerable form beneath him.

How….unexpected.

'_Hn,…..Kadaj claimed he looked everywhere in the house for you…. In every cupboard and freezer …And yet Kadaj failed to search for you in the most obvious place….'_

The gunman mentally shook his head with wry amusement, his lips already forming into a tiny smile.

"Hn…..Get out from under the bed Aeris. We need to talk."

_What do you think guys? Review and let me know._

_Aer_seph4eva xxx_


	10. Betrayal

**To Love an Ancient 3: The Last Seven Days: An Aeris and Sephiroth Finale.**

**4,490 Words**

**Chapter 10 Betrayal Part1**

**Disclaimer**

**Nope, I don't own Final Fantasy 7...but I sometimes adopt their kawaii bishonens! (most specifically the silvered haired kind.)**

Author's Notes

Whew what can I say. Another slow update by yours truly. Nevertheless, this slow train keeps on chugging along x. I promise you guys that I will finish this fic during this lifetime…hopefully J

Warnings: Oh the usual x

Dark twisted themes of pseudo-incest

Deep seated psychological traumas etc etc J x

Musical Muse: Nier- Kainé, Emil's Sacrifice, and Shadowlord's Castle

Anywho enough of my words here,

And on with the fic!

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"**_Oof_**!"

'Hn?!'

Yazoo's mako eyes flickered beneath him in surprise. '_That was not the sound of a metal bedspring.'_

_"!"_

It did not take long for the intelligent warrior to realise what, or more precisely, who had created such an unusual sound from below. "!" Before Yazoo could comprehend the actions of his own body, the wounded male soon found himself on both his knees, peering deep into the shadows behind the valance sheet, only to find a pair of shaking green eyes, gleaming back at him from within the foreboding dark.

'Aeris?' Yazoo exhaled wearily, as his deep, heavy gaze settled upon the brunette's face. By the Gods, what was the silly fool trying to accomplish by hiding under the bed? If the gunman were in a less wounded state, he might have allowed himself to ponder upon the many possibilities. However Yazoo felt too weak and wounded to waste time thinking such superficial thoughts.

For Yazoo wanted answers. He needed answers… _Now_.

"Just get out from under the bed Aeris. We need to talk," Yazoo commanded in a tone tightened heavily with pain.

"…."

When the stunned brunette made no attempt to comply with the gunman's simple verbal command, the wounded warrior gritted his teeth irritably. In less time than it took the foolish female to blink, Yazoo's hands were already reaching out towards the seemingly fear-ridden girl. Grasping Aeris' forearms with both his hands, the gunman fought the urge to wince deeply in pain, as he crudely dragged the brunette out from under the bed, all too aware that Aeris did not ever try to fight him. In fact, Yazoo noticed how the small female was acting uncommonly pliable to his will. Mentally keeping note of this rare revelation to himself, Yazoo curiously tilted his head to one side, as he manoeuvred the female to kneel beside him, observing silently as Aeris vaguely turned her head away from his gaze, intentionally obscuring her face within her long, wild hair. The gunman mildly frowned, unconsciously tightening his grip on the small brunette's arms, trying to catch her eyes once more. "Aeris," Yazoo called out to her quietly. His weary, modulated tone, a disquieting contrast against the heavy weight of his gaze.

"….." The brunette silently trembled beneath the gunman's hands, and turned her head even further away.

_'Why is she not responding to me?' _For whatever reason, the brunette's lack of response was far from acceptable. And so Yazoo impulsively released one of the brunette's arms, snatching her chin instead, and forcefully turning the brunette's pale face back towards his own.

'….?'

Despite the heavy darkness of the room, and the brunette's uncharacteristic stillness, Yazoo could still see with a distinct clarity, the tiny flicker of tortured emotion swimming within the brunette's deep, sensitive depths. The gunman awkwardly swallowed, his pupils sporadically expanding with an ill controlled need.

'_Gods_…'

To Yazoo, it was truly frightening, how alluring this girl's vulnerability had now become to him. It certainly did not help matters how Yazoo's imagination was already torturing his mind with phantom images of the same girl lying helpless in the snow, her body exposed and open for him…_only_ for him….

The pale warrior shyly shivered, as he unconsciously moved his face even closer towards those unforgettable green eyes, his bleeding chest burning with an even greater pain, as his eyes followed the dark crimson trail of blood down her face, to those parted lips…which looked so shy and vulnerable…. So easy to touch…and far too easy to obtain…

By the direction of his own salacious thoughts, the pale warrior's felt his face contort with powerfully strained emotion, his mouth going nervously dry when his face drew even closer to **_Her_**.

"!"

Suddenly Yazoo's head darted downwards at an awkward angle, the fingers holding the brunette's face prisoner weakly slipping away. Before Aeris could realise what was happening, Yazoo hunched himself over her small form, and was violently overtaken by a loud, and crippling hacking fit.

"**_Yazoo_**!"

It was the first time Aeris had spoken, however, Yazoo had no strength to answer her, for he was desperately trying to swallow back the violent gush of thick, bloody bile in his throat with a fiercely shaky palm.

"!"

The gunman knew he was fighting a losing battle, and so Yazoo used his remaining energy to rapidly twist his head as far away from Aeris as he could, coughing up bloody clogs of phlegm, and revolting amounts of bloodied mucus through the cracks of his fingers. As his lifeblood began to spill out violently from his mouth, Yazoo felt tears brimming at the corners of his eyes. His vision blotted with a desperate agony, for the more the warrior coughed and choked, the more difficult it became for him to breathe.

'Am-am I going to die here?'

_'Will this be my end?'_

Soon Yazoo felt his world slipping violently to one side, as his weakened body finally relented to the inevitable fall of gravity. As the bloodied warrior's dropped downwards, he vaguely felt a pair of thin arms grasp for his shoulders, in an attempt to steady his fall. However it seemed even **_her_** weak attempts to rebalance him failed, for the leather-clad duo were sent crashing to the floor. _Thud_! Yazoo gasped out a painful exhale of air, when his face landed against the dirty floor. His pain only made more prominent when the brunette unluckily smashed her head against his bloodied breast.

"Fu-!"

Yazoo cried out a bale of bloodied froth. An exploding fire of agony jolted his body once more, as he hacked and sobbed against the ground, till he was violently choking on his own lifeblood.

0o0

_For the pain was just too much…_

_And Yazoo was in so much agony…_

_All he wanted was to die…_

_All he wanted was his suffering to end._

0o0

However, Aeris continued to cling to his form, crying, begging and screaming out to whatever Planet deity could hear her call, to save him. To save Yazoo! But when the gunman's coughing ceased, and his body became so impossibly still, Aeris' prayers became much more aggressive and desperate. "If you don't save him Gaia. I promise you, you will die! So if you want me to finalise your prayer and save you! Bring Yazoo back to me! Save him! For the love of all things HOLY! SAVE HIM!"

_0o0_

**_"!"_**

_0o0_

Suddenly the darkness was overwhelmed by a flash of green light and a supernatural hum of energy. When the shadows disappeared, and the hymn of Gaia resounded in the air, Aeris knew the Planet had at last answered her call, offering the Planet's vital lifeblood in order to save the Last Cetra's chosen Protector. An acid depth of green settled over the warrior's fallen form, infiltrating every particle of his body while Aeris looked on in awe.

**_0o0_**

**_Innocent child of the stars…_**

**_Do not fear_**

**_For Gaia is with you now…_**

**_For you are safe with me…_**

**_So be strong and let go of all your pain_**

**_Let go of all your grief and suffering._**

**_For your path of destiny is with me…_**

**_Within my light, there is nothing to fear…_**

**_For we believe in the strength of your spirit._**

**_We believe you can follow your path._**

**_And you can stop him_**

**_And you will succeed._**

**_So do not fear my child_**

**_For in the end…at the end of your trial…_**

**_You will be the one…_**

**_To fell the monstrous Xenogenesis._**

**_At the end_**

**_It will be you_**

**_Who will save us a_**ll.

0o0

When the acid green light of Gaia's presence eventually dimmed out of the room in a gentle whisper, it left two lying bodies alone together, facing the early rise of the dawn beyond the open window.

It was the female who first moved up and onto her feet, raising her eyes towards the slit of gold, rising up beyond the once dark horizon/ As Aeris' booted feet began to slowly move towards the window, the brunette could see with a distant clarity that the darkness was slowly ebbing away.

The male behind Aeris rose shortly after. But instead of his eyes being drawn towards the window, the warrior's attention remained uncannily fixed upon her. Yazoo's mako gaze assessed the new serenity of the flower maiden's expression, made all the more gentle by the rise of the Planet's sun.

"Yazoo?"

Aeris turned to face the now healed warrior, her eyes gleaming a brighter shade of emerald than the warrior had ever thought possible/

"Yes?" The warrior asked cautiously, his gaze oddly soft and neutral.

The brunette paused for a moment, nodding to herself as if responding to a greater hidden power.

"Let's go," Aeris answered simply, her lips curling upwards into a childlike giggle at the warrior's rather dumbfounded expression.

"Go?" Yazoo began slowly as he walked towards the female who had turned her gaze back to the broken window, all too aware of the broken glass crunching beneath his feet.

Aeris nodded, as she continued to gaze up at the sky, observing the red omen of Meteor above with eyes far more serious than her years. It was startling really how little time had passed since she last looked up at the sky, and yet Aeris was ultimately aware of the changes with had occurred deep within her mind and soul. For in accessing the power of her Ancestors, the Planet had granted Aeris a gift greater than any other living being. It was a gift of **_acceptance_**….An inhuman depth of gratitude and humility which overwhelmed all previous fears and doubts that previously chained her to her own anxieties.

"All along I have been seeing things from the wrong perspective. It took the Planet's influence to turn me back to what is important," Aeris voiced softly to herself, as she stared down at the broken world of bodies and blood created by the hand of a boy she so desperately cared for.

"And what is important?" Yazoo asked beside her.

Aeris turned to the gunman. "Fulfilling my destiny," Aeris answered with a calm, peculiar smile.

The brunette seemed so proud of herself, and her words…that it caused a shadowed flicker of doubt to cross the gunman's usually reticent expression.

"You mean your destiny…. to die?" Yazoo asked cautiously.

Aeris shook her head.

"No silly," Aeris mildly chastised the pale warrior, as she looked up at him with the eyes of an innocent. "I'm fulfilling my destiny to live."

Now Yazoo was even more perplexed. "What?" Now Aeris was not making any sense. Mako eyes widened in surprise, as Aeris breezed past him with an energy born not from one condemned…. but from one free of shadow, and of all burden.

"Aeris?" Yazoo asked warily, as the brunette innocently pivoted on her feet, spinning her arms freely in the air. _'Had this girl truly lost her mind?'_

"No-one ever dies silly," Aeris answered simply as her spinning fell to a stop. "After all, we are all on the same journey together. We are all guided by the same love that is Gaia, and it is only through her that we can live again. Such is the way the Planet works. So no Yazoo, we do not die. Our body may wither someday but our spirit always lives on. As long as Gaia is strong, so shall we be strong."

The gunman's brows furrowed awkwardly. _'This is not the Aeris I know.'_

"You seem brainwashed Aeris." The words slipped out from the gunman's mouth before he ever had a chance to retract them.

If Yazoo thought Aeris would be offended by his words, he was indeed mistaken. The gentle, bell-like laughter that rose out from the flower girl's mouth was enough to deepen the warrior's worry.

"No, not brainwashed Yazoo. I merely understand the Planet now, that's all," Aeris answered with a genuinely happy smile.

The gunman's expression darkened, as he clenched his fingers unconsciously at his sides. He did not know why, but he felt this was not Aeris' will. It couldn't be her will…. could it? "I see…" the warrior remarked eventually. _'But I do not see.'_ However the warrior had more pressing worries to think about. "But what of Kadaj?"

"Kadaj?" Aeris repeated aloud, as her eyes shifted momentarily to the side, before withdrawing from his side and making her way towards the open window. In that one moment, Yazoo swore he saw the Aeris he truly knew. Not the champion of the Planet, but a young female who could both fear and feel.

"Yes," Yazoo answered carefully. "Do you believe Kadaj WILL understand what you are trying to accomplish? Hn, I think not."

"…" The brunette fell silent. "Kadaj…He is so much like **_Him_**," Aeris mumbled eventually, as she stared down at the death below, beneath the broken window.

"Bu **_Him_** you mean-" Yazoo paused mid speech. The last thing the gunman wanted to think was 'His' name, lest he rouse his dark spirit back to the forefront of his mind.

"Yes…" Aeris agreed gently. "But the Planet has faith in my success over _Him_, as Gaia is aware of Sephiroth's weakness. I'm not sure exactly what this weakness is exactly-"

'_You_.' Yazoo wanted to answer, but he remained calmly silent.

"But all I know is that by following my natural destiny, as Gaia intended. I can stop Meteor. Then by following the will of Gaia, I won't need to witness, nor experience any more pain or sadness -."

Yazoo interrupted her words with a mild snort. "When did you become such a doormat Aeris?"

"Excuse me?" Aeris blinked in genuine confusion, as she turned to look back at the longhaired male.

Yazoo calmly strode back towards the puzzled female. "You should hear yourself Aeris, and really listen to the words that come out of your own mouth. You tell me that you are emotionally bound by the will of others. Whether to the Planet, to Kadaj or even to him. And yet, you have not told me once how you are bound to the will of yourself. To your own needs and feelings."

Aeris' eyes shook in surprise at the gunman's honesty, before she clasped her hands together and drew them towards her own breast. "I guess…it's because I am not a selfish person by nature," Aeris replied softly.

"No, You are," Yazoo corrected watching as Aeris' face warp at him in surprise. "But then every soul who has experienced life is. Although unlike so many others, you merely live in self-denial of your own self worth. For you are indeed afraid of failure. Afraid of living. Afraid of dying. You have become obsessed with your own fears, your own lack of strength, Your own lack of self that you now use every opportunity to please yourself by following the will of others, preferring to take the route that others have designated for you, instead of trying to conjure up different paths of your own."

Yazoo tilted his head to the side and properly addressed Aeris.

" You really hold no self worth in yourself, do you Aeris?"

"….." Aeris made no attempt to answer the gunman.

Yazoo began to move even closer to the now silent female. "_Hn, now I think I'm beginning to see…what he sees now. You are so fragile. So easy to break…so easy to shatter. I know I could destroy you so easily…and yet I feel I could reassemble you to be anything as well…You are so pliable Aeris…It is this weakness which holds you to Him, and to the will of the Planet.'_

_As Yazoo unconsciously brushed the back of his hand against the pale pallor of the brunette's healed cheek, the gunman became even more aware of the strange connection that was growing between them._

_And it disturbed him._

_For Yazoo knew this was not the connection of a killer and it's victim…_

_No…it was something far more poisonous…_

Yazoo knew that Aeris had now become a temptation to him. A food he could not taste nor savour.

And as the dawn continued to rise over the horizon, Yazoo calmly withdrew himself away from the light of the early morn, and from her.

"Aeris," Yazoo addressed the female at his side. ""Kadaj will be returning soon," Yazoo finished lamely, feeling oddly powerless when he saw the depth of resoluteness within the brunette's now fierce green gaze.

"Then let us hurry and prepare to leave then," Aeris stated quietly, brushing past him, seeking out and grabbing discarded items from room to room, which she seemed necessary for her final journey. All the while the gunman silently followed her. As the brunette made her way down the stairs and into the main living room, her gaze caught sight of a familiar dual blade, sheathed upon the table. The brunette stared at the sword, which had only recently taken away so many lives in just one night. All the while, her mind flickered with the face of an angelic faced boy who concealed the mind, heart and soul of a crazed, mass-murdering killer.

"K-adaj…"

The brunette held the heavy sheathed blade with both her hands, her heart and mind both in confliction, whether to curse or to pray for the child she had unconsciously bonded herself to. For Aeris, it soon became inevitable that the light from her memories with Kadaj would always prevail over any greater darkness, which awaited her. As Aeris envisioned Kadaj as the boy who protected her… the boy who loved her…. the boy who only wanted to keep her safe and happy, gentle thoughts of prayer began to flow out from the brunette's mind and heart, as did the blessings to protect the boy who called her Mother. All Aeris now wanted to do was protect Kadaj from all forms of darkness, and to save him from the one true dark, which lurked deep inside him. As her prayers fell to silence, Aeris carefully laid the sheathed sword back on the table, pausing for a single moment, before bringing her arms up behind her back, and untying the pink bow that held her hair in place. As her hair fell down to her waist, Aeris methodically wrapped her innocent pink ribbon around Kadaj's blade, knotting the fabric only once into a simple bow. All the while, her mind was overwhelmed by all the memories she had shared with the boy. Both good and bad. Both warm and frightening.

"I'm so sorry Kadaj," Aeris voiced softly to the sword, as her small gloved fingers slid across the pink ribbon one final time. "But. This is where I say goodbye.."

0o0

When Aeris turned her gaze back to face Yazoo, the gunman was aware of the single desolate tear that had streaked down the brunette's ashen face. However Yazoo said nothing. No words were necessary for this moment. The gunman's expression was unreadable, but nevertheless he seemed ready to leave the cold house as much as she.

"Let's go, Yazoo," Aeris stated quietly to him, and with that the Protector of the Planet passed him silently, moving towards the entrance of the house, opening the door and exiting out into the dawn.

Yazoo paused for a moment at the edge of the portal, turning back only once to look into the desolate house, his eyes looking down the hallway, gazing deeply at the slip of the pale pink encased around the hilt of his Brother's blade. At the sight of the ribbon, the gunman felt his heart grow heavy for the Brother who he loved more than the world itself. A Brother he was now abandoning…A Brother who would soon return to an empty house, alone, confused…and distressed.

'_Kadaj_…'

Yazoo closed his eyes and moved through the portal, shutting the door behind him. Sighing deeply, the gunman calmly opened his eyes, to catch sight of the blood, his blood that had frozen along with the snow on top of the stairs last night. Carefully descending the stairs calmly towards Aeris, Yazoo greeted Aeris at the bottom of the steps.

"We need to head out of town," the brunette stated to Yazoo without looking for him, as Aeris began to instinctively turn left.

"Wait," Yazoo paused her mid step causing the brunette to send a confused look his way.

"Let's go right," the gunman advised, as his thoughts equipped him with the memory of Kadaj dashing left into the night.

"Alright." Aeris agreed with a slight bob of her head, as they both turned right. It seemed Aeris had only taken a couple more footsteps in the snow before Yazoo stopped her once again.

"Keep to the ice Aeris. Otherwise…. you will leave footprints," Yazoo explained carefully as he kicked his feet across the prints Aeris had just made, in a feeble attempt to cover up the marks. Yazoo didn't need to clarify further on the reasons for his words, for Aeris already knew the answer. _Kadaj_… And so Aeris nodded, struggling to move across the icy black on the road, trying to ignore every horrific sight of death splattered in every direction around her. However despite Aeris' need to uphold Gaia's will, the brunette's body could not compete with her new found inner strength, so it did not come as a surprise to Yazoo when Aeris began to fall. However what instead became a surprise to him was when Yazoo quickly manoeuvred Aeris mid-slide, grabbing her tiny waist, lifting and pulling her body flush behind his, her face jutting out above his left shoulder, while her thighs were held either side against his own.

"Thank you Yazoo," Aeris eventually murmured within the gunman's shoulder, the sound muffled against the leather of his clothing.

Yazoo grunted something unintelligible, and began to run, listening to her tiny voice, as she guided him to where she needed to go.

0o0

_Her Final Destination…_

_The Forgotten City._

_0o0_

The house was not empty for long. It seemed no sooner than Aeris and Yazoo had left, that Kadaj returned.

"Brother! I still couldn't find-" Kadaj paused mid speech as his eyes fell on the slither of pink on his blade. Immediately the warrior was aware what it was. Rushing over to his sword, the young warrior removed it and held it between his pale hands.

"This…this is Mother's…then why? Why is it here?" Kadaj spoke with a trembling voice as he clenched the delicate fabric between both his hands.

'Doesn't this mean Mother came back here while I was gone?'

"Yazoo! Yazoo!" Kadaj called out to his Brother. But the house remained silent. "Where are you!?"

The young warrior felt his heart rise and fall in fearful apprehension.

_Where is Mother? Where is she?_

_Has she gone?_

_But she must have returned to put this ribbon here?_

_But if she returned, why isn't she here?_

_Why has she gone again?_

_Has she left me?_

_And where is Yazoo?_

_Had they both gone out alone?_

_Had they both left together?_

_Kadaj had absolutely no idea what was going on._

_And so Kadaj released a frustrated cry of emotion._

_What does this all-fucking mean!?_

"You fucking bastard Yazoo. I told you to stay home and wait for Mother," Kadaj cursed aloud, as he rubbed at his eyes, which were severely bloodshot and panicked from the current stress and turmoil he was going through. Leaning over the table, Kadaj put his hand in both his hands, and tried to placate himself by thinking of all the possible options of where his Mother and his Brother could be.

'Maybe I'm overreacting and Yazoo has merely taken Mother to get more supplies, and he will be back soon….' The teen thought with mild hope, before his thoughts inevitably slipped back within the dark. 'Or maybe… Yazoo really has ran away with you Mother." The swordsman fiercely shook his head. No matter what Kadaj thought, he could not ignore the fact that his fear for his Mother's safety controlled his thoughts, and he was very quickly coming to the conclusion that Yazoo very likely absconded with Aeris if he did not return in the next three minutes.

'After all, I know that despite everything Yazoo has said…it is clear that Brother wants Mother.'

Kadaj was beginning to feel emotionally hysterical once again.

"Fuck! Fuck Fuck fuck-" the teen swore as he repeatedly whacked his head against the wooden table.

Kadaj had no idea what was going on. All he knew was that he had to find Mother!

Picking up the sword from the table, Kadaj sprinted back out the house, almost slipping down the stairs in his haste due to the bloody ice on the steps.

"Shit," Kadaj cursed, running a hand through his hair. He turned left, before pausing for a moment, and turning right instead. All the while, hiss fear for the flower girl making him deliriously blind to the red backdrop of Meteor's dark journey through the sky….

"Mother! Where are you? Where did Brother take you? Are you even with Brother?"

The teen's mako gaze slitted and violently darkened, as he saw the remains of a small vague footprint in the snow. As he bent down to touch the fresh footprint, Kadaj instinctively knew who this print belonged to…

Mother…?

As Kadaj's enhanced gaze observed the half mangled footstep, his warrior eyes immediately realised that where her footstep ended, a larger more masculine footprint began, half disguised by some kickedup snow...

Whoever had sabotaged these footsteps in the snow obviously did not want to be found.

And Kadaj was no fool.

A flash of brilliant rage, ignited within the young male's mako eyes.

There was no doubt now, that his Mother was alone.

"Oh you are so dead Brother. When I find you, you are so FUCKING DEAD!"

0o0

A.N

Short.

Sweet.

Guys tell me what you think ;) x


	11. Seal Evil

**To Love an Ancient 3: The Last Seven Days: An Aeris and Sephiroth Finale.**

**7,353 Words **

**15 pages**

**Chapter 11: Seal Evil**

**Disclaimer**

**Nope, I don't own Final Fantasy 7...but I sometimes adopt their kawaii bishonens! (most specifically the silvered haired kind.)**

**Author's Notes**

_**Hey guys, Aer_seph4eva here. Gosh it really has been a while. I hope you have all been doing very well. **__**Anywho don't really want to write much here. So, without further adieu, and on with the fic!**_

_**Musical Muses :**_

_**Turk's Theme The Black Suits Comin'**_

_**Elfen Lied Lilium - **__**Lilium Лилиум-Boys choir Dzvinochok**_

_0o0_

_**Midgar: Shinra Building - Floor 66**_

0o0

_"Heh-he. Hehehe."_

Have you ever laughed so hard over something that was so far from funny, and yet it seemed like the most suitable course of action? Well, for a Turk such as Reno, such responses seemed all the more appropriate these days. After everything his Director expected of him, the wily Turk was sorely tempted to throw in his electro nightstick, sod his job, and spend the last few days on the Planet pleasurably laying on his back in the %*&$ room, nursing a dirty martini in each hand, whilst in the company of the hottest Honeybee girlies a man on his sizeable salary could afford.

However, Reno knew that if he gave into such guilty vices, there wouldn't be much time to truly enjoy them, especially as the Planet had a date with destruction in less than a week's time.

So that led Reno to comply with the President and the Director's plans to save the world without question. However, what bullshittery could Shinra expect a Turk of his calibre to face in the early hour of Armageddon?

"_Heh, heh-heh he."_

Reno promptly closed the door of Shinra's private meeting room, and began coolly ambling towards the central elevator, metal suitcase in hand, deliberately ignoring the pair of footsteps following him from behind. Reno knew he had to ignore them, for one look at his current companion would be enough to send Reno into raucous laughter. Gods… Reno could handle solo missions. What he loved even more than solo missions were missions, which involved his best partner Rude. But Reno had been given a mission not with his best buddy, but with this…this…?

Reno dared a small chance look behind him…..

And immediately regretted it. For that simple action was surely his undoing.

"**Hahahahahahahahahahahah*cough*cough*hahahaha!"** _'Oh Lord! This is Shinra's secret weapon to stop Sephiroth?!' _"**Hahahaha**!" _'Oh my fucking God! This Planet is so screwed!'_** "Hahahahahahahhaahahahaha!" **'_If this plan somehow works without me dying, then I'll die my hair pink and eat an iguana.' _

"Um? Excuse me Reno, but could you tell me what you find so funny?" A little voice asked in mild confusion, as it brushed its whiskers, and rubbed its tiny nose with a small, gloved hand. "I believe our situation is quite serious, as is our task. Did you not hear what Rufus and Reeve said in the meeting? Meteor will collide with the Planet if we do not find a way to stop it from falling… And now, with Tseng still out of service, Rude and Elena have been sent to Junon with the President to look over Scarlet's and Heideggar's Mako Cannon project, while you and I have been ordered to locate and contain the target of the audio upset we received from the Northern Continent. A target we can undoubtedly assume is General Sephiroth from the recordings we picked up from Icicle's Intelligence team."

"Hey! Chill cat, chill." Reno answered with a rather suave smile, still in disbelief that a cat was temporarily replacing his best buddy Rude. Hell even Elena would've been a more preferable buddy to protect his collar than this…. "Errr…remind me what your name is again ….?"

"Cait Sith."

"Whoa! Your name is Cat Shit?" Azure eyes ignited with genuine surprise, just as he reached the door of the elevator. Removing his prized keycard from his scruffy blazer, Reno ignored the seething toy at his feet, and lazily swiped the activation panel, before calmly entering inside the elevator.

"My name is Cait Sith Mark 2 I have you know! And I am certainly not a piece of kitty excrement," the small form answered in a rather offended voice, as it scurried into the glass elevator behind Reno, before the door snapped shut.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say, Number 2," Reno yawned lazily, scratching his messy ponytail, while the toy cat seethed in its tiny brown boots.

"So what is our plan of action?" Cait bemoaned, watching with squinted eyes as Reno tapped a few careless buttons on the elevator pad, wishing now more than ever that it was his maker who had his back on this mission, and not this scruffy suited Turk. At least Cait trusted Reeve. Unlike this…"Gah!" The toy jerked in surprise, as the elevator began to descend down from the 69th floor to the ground floor.

"Our plan?" The Turk's sharp gaze snapped back towards the little cat toy. "Keh, and here I thought you were seated in the same meeting as I. Don't you remember the plan lil kitty? The Prez has ordered us to head on up to the Northern Continent, to this funky little hell-hole previously known as Icicle Inn. As for our plan…you are going to act as Solid Cait, and infiltrate whatever scariness and ghoulish screams will be found in there. When you locate our target, you have been issued a gun especially crafted by our top weapons specialist Scarlet. A gun that contains bullets infused with highly reactive Stop materia. Your role kitty is to use all five bullets on our target, and thus contain him, while I will transfer our acquired target back to Midgar, where our Director will be in charge of all future negotiations…."

The toy cat blinked owlishly at the tall red head. "Um…so I'm expected to locate and restrain Sephiroth all by myself?"

Reno nodded his head with a genuine smirk. "Yup. Reeve has enough faith in your espionage skills to locate and restrain our target, no problem. All I'm here for is to take you from A to B. And our target back from B to A. Simple."

The toy cat's ears wilted. He at least expected some backup for this awfully difficult mission. "B-but…this mission seems awfully dangerous Reno to complete alone," Cait answered mid wilt. "Do you think Scarlet's bullets contain the power to stop a man like Sephiroth?"

"….Ummm." '_No_?' the red haired Turk thought with an inward smile, while his eyes crinkled at the corners with genuine jollity. "I'm sure you'll be fine little Kitty. Sides, shouldn't you be paying more attention to the sky beyond this elevator? Think of it this way. That Meteor winking down from the sky is much more dangerous than any man or creature we could fight on this Planet. So facing Sephiroth should be easy compared to facing Meteor."

"Sephiroth? Easy?" Cait blinked in complete confusion, unsure whether they were talking about the same silver haired General. "B-b-ut that audio report we received from the Police Station of Icicle Inn… all I heard was screaming." The toy cat shuddered in a genuine semblance of fear. "Oh deary me. I don't know if I have the heart to face this."

Reno rolled his eyes. "You are a toy fucking cat. What do you have to fear from a man such as Sephiroth?"

"Um…." Cait paused for a moment to press a small button inside his crown.

A static sound emerged from the little figure and echoed inside the elevator.

"**Oh God! What the Fuck is he? Silver Hair! His Sword! Oh my God he's killing us all! AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! We need BACKUP! BACKUP! BACK-AGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"**

Cait stopped the audio with a nervous shudder. Even the hairs on the back of Reno's neck were stuck highly on end. "Um….How about fearing that?"

Reno scratched the back of his neck, and thought for an answer. When none were forth coming, the Turk shrugged indifferently, and a perpetually suave smile materialised back onto his handsome features. "Hey Cat, Chill-chill. You're probably worrying over nothing. Sides, aren't cats meant to be lucky? So play to your strengths. You never know, Sephiroth might have an unnatural fondness for cats," Reno answered with a hapless laugh, as the elevator finally reached the ground floor, and slid open with a high-pitched ping. "And sides, if you play your cards right, and act as cute as you look, Sephiroth might decide to adopt you after being overwhelmed by your.. um…" The Turk paused to stare down at the toy's feet. " Brown leather booties."

"Sephiroth likes cats…and booties?" Cait blinked slowly and innocently stared down at his feet, before looking up to find that Reno had left him, and was already working his way through the lobby, past many suited co workers, and towards the building's exit. The little toy eeped in surprise and quickly chased after the lanky red head, his long black tail flailing madly behind him.

"Reno! Wait!" The little toy cat cried out meekly, catching up to the Turk before he left the Shinra premises. "What do you mean about Sephiroth liking booties?"

It was only by mere coincidence that an older male Shinra operative entered the building just as Reno and Cait exited. As the male suit passed the strangely paired duo, he paused only for a moment then made a visual double check at the sight of a talking cat speaking about Sephiroth liking booties? The bearded operative shook his head in wild disbelief, and walked past a rather amused Turk, muttering how he certainly needed a trip back to his psychiatrist. For there was no way a cat could talk, let alone talk about Sephiroth's sexual interests. A future signing off was definitely in order.

And so Reno quietly sniggered to himself, and waved smoothly at the other man, before brushing past the doors and outside into the cool Midgar air, with an inquisitive little toy cat following him from behind. The Turk paused for a moment to gaze in transfixed awe at the glowing ball of destruction in the sky, which looked far more prominent than it did the day before. "Whoa! Hello there death ball," Reno greeted the meteor with a mock salute of his head, before gesturing the cat to follow him towards the air strip, which was located on the other side of the car park.

The toy cat blinked in confusion and followed Reno. "Um Reno, you still haven't properly explained how you know Sephiroth likes cats and booties."

"From very reliable sources of intelligence of course," Reno answered with a sly wink. "Us Turks have to be frequently updated on all the secrets in this company. And sides, even though I'm no official member of Sephiroth's silver fan club, it doesn't take a genius to guess that Sephiroth is definitely the sort of guy who wouldn't mind a bell-necked kitten purring in his lap… if you know what I mean... heheheh," Reno thought aloud. "Heh... and now that I think about it, Sephiroth by image alone can really draw in the chicks without really even trying. No wonder his old fan club still exists, even today."

The more Reno spoke, the more confused the poor little toy became. "Kittens…? Chicks? Booties?! " Cait blinked rapidly at the azure eyed male, trying to assemble all the information Reno had just offered him freely. "So then…Sephiroth likes animals that wear booties… and this brings him fans?"

The cat's answer had the Turk in complete stitches across the car park, to the confusion of many passersby exiting their vehicles. "Hahahahah!" '_Oh God this cat is gonna rupture my colon._' Reno answered with genuine tears of hilarity in his eyes. Despite death lurking ominously from above, all Reno could think about was how Sephiroth would respond to such a stupid question from a small, talking cat.

'…_With Masamune. Obviously.'_ Rude would have answered in a no nonsense tone.

"Keh." Despite the sadistic thoughts whirling in his head, the amused Turk sent his first genuine smile at the still puzzled toy.

"I really think you're starting to grow on me Cat Shit."

"It's Cait Sith," the cat muttered in a dour tone, knowing the excitable Turk would not listen to anything he said.

"Anywho Cat, no more dawdling! Our flying carriage awaits!"

'_Flying carriage? _

_Oh dear…_

_Reeve_

_This Turk might be the end of me…'_

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o 0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

0o0

_**Meanwhile… Back at ****Icicle Inn**_

0o0

_0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o 0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0_

_In the midst of all the chaos…_

_And the endless running…_

_Aeris finally found what she needed…_

_A strength she believed she once lacked…_

_It was something she carried within her all along on her emotional journey…_

_Something quite intangible…_

And yet it possessed a far greater power than any legendary piece of materia the Planet could dare bestow upon her…

This power Aeris had found, was not something as simple as magic. It was an ancient embodiment of energy, which could transcend all thoughts of darkness into light.

And although the world around her was raging with such strong and turbulent emotions, Aeris had never felt such a surreal sense of peace in her heart. Even as the morning snow continued to drift down upon her and Yazoo, the brunette felt no fear, not when Yazoo carried her on his back with an immeasurable grace. His speed across the ice was unfathomable, as it was indeed necessary. For someone was hunting them both. Someone they both knew all too well. Someone they both desperately wanted to protect…and to save.

'_..Kadaj…'_

_0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o 0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0_

_0o0_

_'Why the fuck has Yazoo taken Mother!?'_

_0o0_

Kadaj could no longer hear the sound of the wind, nor the cold of the falling snow around him. For a rage had taken hold of his heart. A rage, so strong, so deep that it heated his mind with a toxic fire. Kadaj did not wish to comprehend what was currently happening, even when the truth seemed so blatantly obvious. His body was panting with anger? Or was it fear?

_No_…_It_ _was_ _**fucking**_ _frustration_!

'_What is going on?!_

_Where was she? Where were they?_

_Why did Brother take Mother?_

_Did Mother go willingly with Yazoo? Or was she forced?_

_But if she went willingly, then why did she leave her ribbon behind for me to find?_

_Why have they left me behind?_

_When are they coming back?_

_Are they coming back?'_

Kadaj desperately sought for a sign of his Mother's footprints, which had disappeared halfway upon the ice. His acute mako eyes snapped downwards to the bloodied grounds, then up towards the snowy rooftops, as he sought out a sign, a hope that he would catch sight of her, around the next corner, or perhaps the next.

'_Mother? Where are you?!'_

Kadaj's panting was growing heavier now. His head was jerking side to side in raw agitation. Kadaj had so many questions running rampant in his head. Thoughts he could not seem to answer.

'For why would Yazoo attempt to hide Mother's footprints from me? For what purpose would Yazoo wish to hide Mother from me?

And why did Mother leave her ribbon behind?

Did Mother leave it as a sign she wanted to be saved from Yazoo?

Or did Yazoo leave it as a sign to taunt me?'

It was not for the first time that Kadaj felt disturbed by his Brother's disturbing and unpredictable behaviour towards _Her_. Kadaj knew Yazoo had always been so unkind to Mother. Yazoo had been downright cruel from the beginning. He spoke to Mother in such a disrespectful manner. He insulted her. Berated her. Belittled her. Humiliated her.

Kadaj tightened his fists angrily at his side.

The signs were always there…

The capacity for his Brother's malice was always fucking there!

And Kadaj knew Yazoo all too well. He knew his Brother acted without repentance. At his utmost worst, Yazoo was a completely spiteful and unfeeling bastard who cared for nothing but his own selfish merits.

The swordsman gritted his teeth.

'_Yazoo.'_

Anger rippled across the swordsman's thoughts.

'_You deceived me Brother. All along you deceived me. You claim you are family to me…and yet you take the most important person in my life away! What have I done to you Yazoo? How dare you hide Mother from me? Do you hate your own Brother so? I never betrayed you Yazoo. Never! So then why? Why?! Why are you doing this? Why have you taken Mother from me? Is it because you know I'm her favourite? Is it because you envy me? Don't you realise Mother is mine Yazoo! Not Yours! Never yours! You know I pledged myself to her first. Not you. Never you. You never dreamt for Mother like I. You have never cried for her like I!_'

'_Why have you betrayed me Brother?!'_

The teen shook his head, to remove the falling snow off his lashes.

Kadaj knew he was most certainly dealing with a very fucked up situation.

He had so many questions… Too many questions… and nothing seemed to be making any sense. One thing was for sure though; Kadaj knew he had to find _**her**_!

"I'll find you Mother. Don't worry, I'll find you, I _**promise**_." Kadaj swore to himself, as he quickly scaled up and onto the rooftops. His eyes narrowed with an acute intensity of emotion, while his mind intelligently mapped out all the potential routes his dear bastard Brother might have taken her. However, Kadaj knew he had no time to set up any intricate plan of action, so he began hastily leaping over building to building, crying out at the top of his lungs, hoping his Mother would hear him.

"_**MOTHER! MOTHER! KADAJ IS HERE! MOTHER! WHERE HAVE YOU GONE?"**_

And yet no-one answered.

"_**MOTHER! CALL OUT TO ME! KADAJ IS HERE! I'M HERE FOR YOU!"**_

There was still no sign of her…

Kadaj released a keen sound of desperation out from his throat. His thoughts were not guiding him any closer to finding her. He cursed his own foolishness.

"Mother!" He wailed. "_Mother_!" He called out to her once more. Begging for the heavens to offer him a sign. An answer. But all Kadaj saw in the early morning was an awakening sun and a strange red smear in the sky, a mysterious moon, which harkened no answer to him.

"Give her back to me. Please give her back," Kadaj begged to the red moon in the sky. "Please…" Silence answered him. "Please…give me a sign…"

"_**KADAJ**_**!"**

The teen immediately pivoted towards the sound of his beloved Mother's voice.

"!"

There was only one face frozen in his mind, as Kadaj sacrificed every thought and emotion for speed and haste.

He had to get there.

He had to reach her before it was too late!

"**Mother!"**

_0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o _

Street after street. Alley after alley, the flower maiden felt her eyes close into a guileless calm, for she trusted Yazoo with all her heart. The demi-Cetra knew that Yazoo's physical strength and speed far surpassed her own. Even now, his strong gloved grip was tight and unyielding against her thighs, and Aeris knew that no matter what, Yazoo would never let go of her. For Yazoo was taking her back towards the path of her intended destiny.

_A destiny Aeris no longer feared…_

_For what was death but a graduation for the living?_

The brunette inwardly smiled. Aeris knew she no longer had anything to lose, for the Planet had gifted her far more extraordinary wonders in her short life of experiences than those who blindly lived beneath the oppressed shadows of Shinra's plate, and for that Aeris was eternally grateful.

Once upon a time in the past, Aeris knew she was once guilty of being shrouded in the corrupting dark. A dark, which gave birth to very real human fears. Fears born from a lack. Of not having enough. And it was in this land of irrepressible fear that Shinra's power began to manifest in Midgar. An unholy power, brought about by the united anxiety of those who believed they lacked true worth in themselves. Those who felt powerless. Those who admitted they were weak. Those who felt tired. Afraid. Alone…..and _**Loveless**_.

The brunette's eyes snapped open wide in realisation.

Everything she felt, …were born from the same emotional anxieties she experienced from living in Midgar. In Midgar she had always feared being different. She always feared the dark, and yet many years ago, she even admitted fearing the sight of the blue sky above.

How had she been so blind!?

Aeris had allowed herself to become so handicapped by fear and oppression. All her negativities monopolised her thoughts till what she feared manifested into the reality she lived today. After all, was that not why Aeris felt so alone? For in the past, she once believed she deserved to be alone, as she was different, and in doing so, she taught herself how not to love herself. Aeris realised it was this energy…this need to express her lack of love which drew **_Him_** to her in the first place.

**_Sephiroth…_**

Aeris now knew that Sephiroth mirrored a form of love in her life that she constantly rejected within herself. For once Aeris believed she did not deserve true love, due to her differences, her strangenesses, her weaknesses...why should she expect love from others when her crippling anxieties kept on getting in the way.

And then came along Kadaj…

Kadaj embodied another kind of love. A heartbreakingly raw form of love. A love, which bore fruits that, could not be eaten. Aeris knew, the deleterious love Kadaj felt for her, was no greater than the love Aeris felt for her own dark apostate angel. And so Aeris did what most sane females would have done in the face of dire unreciprocated emotion. She avoided it. She ignored the pure love that had been offered to her freely. But in doing so, Kadaj's love had shifted. It had warped and grown, like an evolved cancer from which there was no remedy.

And that was why Aeris knew she was to blame for the destruction of Icicle Inn. Kadaj might have used his hand to create the chaos. But his initial intentions were pure. Trapped in his naivety, Kadaj had admitted his fear of losing her. That he would protect her. That he would kill for her.

All because he loved her.

Love….

Aeris was beginning to understand what it meant to truly love someone, and why it kept passing her by. For deep down Aeris was still so terrified of being truly loved. So when someone like Kadaj accepted and loved her without discrimination…she had to reject all his impassioned advances. She literally ran away.

But no more.

This had to stop.

This had to stop now!

"Yazoo Stop!" Aeris cried out suddenly.

In a sudden moment of clarity, Aeris felt her physical world dangerously snap to an unnatural stillness. Her mouth offered a soundless gasp, as she tried to find a grip on the gunman's shoulders once more. In a manner of speed that was quite inhuman, Yazoo had pivoted his body around in a complete 180', despite the fact that Aeris' arms and thighs remained momentarily locked around his shoulders and sides. Now the gunman's chest was breaching against her own, her legs dangling helplessly against his narrow waist. Aeris released a small whoosh of air, when she was suddenly pushed back into the shadows, her back lightly impacting against the wall of the alley. Her small body was now trapped painfully close against the gunman's lean form. From breast to breast. From her thigh to his waist. And all the while his eyes remained fixated on her own. Then his face moved closer before dipping delicately to the side. Aeris nervously shivered, as the pale tendrils of Yazoo's hair glided down her right cheek, before his lips touched the inner curve of her ear.

"Sssh!" Yazoo hissed at Aeris, alarmed and surprised by the immense anxiety resounding in his own voice. "Do you want Kadaj to hear you?"

Aeris' gaze was now steady and calm. She knew she needed no words to communicate the truth to the elder warrior.

'_Yes_.'

The gunman's gaze sharpened in surprise, completely disarmed by the brunette's expression.."…w-what?"

"…" Aeris stared calmly back at Yazoo and made no sound.

"No more running Yazoo," Aeris answered serenely,as Yazoo pulled away from the brunette.

"What? But when? Why have you decided this?!" Yazoo answered in alarm. His mind had been completely thrown.

"It is something I have decided to do my own free will," Aeris affirmed softly. "I intend to face Kadaj."

Mako eyes dilated with nervous surprise. "But if that was your plan all along, why did you hide and run from Kadaj in the first place?!" Yazoo uncharacteristically hissed aloud. His eyes were bereft of his usual passivity. His fists were shaking with emotion. Yazoo did not know where his fear was coming from. Fear for her? Or was it for Kadaj? Or himself?!

_Oh why did this girl have the power to break down all vestiges of control inside his being? Why did Aeris allow him to be exposed to such constant pain?_

"Yazoo…please don't worry anymore," the brunette tried to reassure the tall male. "I believe-" the brunette paused for a moment and shook her head. "No, I _know_ I can seal the evil in Kadaj's heart."

Yazoo released another hiss of emotion and pivoted away from Aeris, feeling more like a marionette dancing to a senseless rhythm he had yet to comprehend. He could not do this. He did not want to play the role of the foolish puppet any more.

And yet his lips moved off their own accord. A curse of weakness he could not seem to control no matter how he tried.

"What would you have me do Aeris?" Yazoo sighed wearily, as he brought a hand to cover his eyes, his shoulders sagging with a frailty he rarely showed. He stood alone for a moment before the brunette's hands drew around him from both sides to embrace from behind.

"Nothing Yazoo. I can face him alone." Aeris answered softly.

"Alone?" If Yazoo was stunned before, now his brain had given up thinking altogether. For surely Aeris had not just announced that she was going to face his Brother all by herself?

The brunette serenely nodded an affirmative, before turning on the balls of her feet and stepping away from the stunned warrior.

Yazoo felt oddly powerless when Aeris turned away from him, shielding her expression from him, as she gazed towards the exit of the alleyway. Feeling uncharacteristically nervous, the warrior uneasily clenched and unclenched his fingers.. Yazoo did not know what to make of this new Aeris. She seemed to possess a resolve greater than his own. His mounting worry must have glimmered in his eyes, as the brunette turned her head back to smile softly at him, reassuring him, creating a warm burning sensation in his heart. The gunman visibly flinched. Her eyes on him were far too painfully warm, and so Yazoo forcefully broke his gaze away, feeling more alienated by this female who seemed to resonate light in his dark and bloody world.

The gunman's widened further, when Aeris suddenly threw her head back and suddenly cried out.

"_**KADAJ**_!"

"No Aeris don't!" Yazoo instinctively cried out, shocked by his own words. Why did he want to stop her? Did he really not want his Brother to find her? Or him?

"Don't worry Yazoo." Aeris reassured the pale male once more. "Everything will be all right…"

"But-"

"The Planet is here to support me." Aeris affirmed calmly. "Gaia won't let me fail."

"But-"

"Believe in me Yazoo. I can stop Kadaj."

"Stop him?" The warrior's morbid mind leapt at the first thought, which came to him. "But the only way to stop Kadaj is to kill him."

"_**You are indeed right, Big Brother."**_

An all too familiar, frightening silhouette appeared at the end of the alley. Both Aeris and Yazoo whipped their heads to the right in surprise.

'_Kadaj_!'

"Stand aside Aeris," Yazoo softly commanded, but Aeris' gaze remained trapped on the silhouette at the end of the alley. In the shadows, Aeris' eyes were not fine -tuned enough to see the hawk-like intensity that was being directed upon her person. However Yazoo could see the zealous insanity..the obsessive need…in those constricted pupils.

The swordsman stalked forward, and Yazoo instinctively stepped forward to try and block Aeris' form from the young teen's vision. The action greatly displeased the young male. It was made perfectly clear when Souba slid from its sheath, and Kadaj took a few practiced swings in the air.

"Why are you hiding Mother from me Brother?" Kadaj asked in a pseudo-gentle tone, deceptively calm, despite the threatening tension rapidly building in the alley.

"Hiding?" Yazoo echoed calmly, trying to ignore the severe aura of rage emanating from his Brother's eyes. "I am doing no such thing."

"Indeed," the teen hissed. Kadaj was no fool. He knew he was being lied to, and at this very moment, the last thing the volatile teen wanted to do was play such foolish games. Not when his Mother was standing there. "Mother?" the teen called out to the female standing behind his older sibling. "Are you alright Mother? Yazoo, he hasn't hurt you has he?"

Kadaj took another step forward.

"He hasn't touched you? Has he?"

Kadaj moved closer and reached a hand out towards her, his gaze becoming nervously soft as he took in his Mother's face.

"Mother. You needn't be afraid anymore. I will not allow anyone to harm you." Kadaj stated gently. "You are safe now."

Yazoo stepped in between the two, before Kadaj could reach the brunette.

"Get out of my way Yazoo!" Kadaj snapped, literally shoving the older male out the way and grasping the brunette's shoulder with one hand and bringing her against his body protectively.

He crushed his face against her breast and wrapped his arms around her waist in a vice like hold. It was a terrifyingly strong grip for one so young. It was inhuman in desperation. Aeris was once again made aware that Kadaj embodied the spirit of both a monster and a child.

"I was so afraid Mother. When you left and I couldn't find you, I was so very afraid. I followed Yazoo's footsteps, and then I heard your cry, and it brought me here. But I don't understand. Why did you go off Mother? You scared me." Kadaj seemed so relieved to see her. And that is what was so heartbreaking.

_I wish there was a way for me to remain inside you Mother so that we could never part again. I want to stay with you. Please don't ever leave like that again._

"Kadaj."

"?" Kadaj glanced up and down his Mother's profile, as if looking for a sign that she had been manhandled. "Are you alright Mother? You're not hurt, are you? Please…don't be hurt Mother…as I no longer have my cure materia to heal you." The teen's gaze shivered with genuine emotion. "You should be resting Mother. Let's get you out of the cold and into the warmth. It was selfish of Brother to force you out here when you could genuinely freeze to death. Let's get you somewhere safe and warm, ok?" Kadaj offered herwith a shy smile. "Then I can get some clothes for you, and how about a hot drink. What was that hot chocolate you were interested in the other day? How about if I get you some so we can share and experience together."

Despite the softness of his words, in the teen's eyes, Aeris could sense the teen's clinging desperation. It literally bled from each word he uttered to her… _I can provide you anything you need. Just tell me what you want and I will give you it. You have no need to fear when you are with me Mother. I am all you will need to be truly happy. Just don't let me go Mother. Don't leave me alone._

And so Aeris placed a hand over the back of the teen's head, in an attempt to bring him closer.

"Kadaj. Look at me," Aeris voiced quietly, and ever so softly.

The young teen raised his head. "Yes Mother."

Green met green. "Do you trust me Kadaj?" Aeris asked him quietly, as she felt her own eyes begin to grow damp with emotion. The brunette silently swallowed. She could not cry now. She refused to cry now.

"!" Kadaj, who had always been intuitive to his Mother's moods, could see the tearful colours glistening in the brunette's eyes. The young male never liked seeing his Mother upset. For it made him deeply upset. "Without any doubt Mother. You are the only voice who commands the beat of my heart."

The brunette blinked back her tears. The love Kadaj held for her. It was beyond human in intensity….and the trust the young teen had for her…it made Aeris feel like a complete monster for what she was about to do next.

As Kadaj leaned his face towards her own, parting his lips open with a nervous need, Aeris quickly grasped the teen's head, and instead turned it downwards, bestowing a kiss upon his brow, even as the warrior shook with unstable emotion.

'_I'm sorry Kadaj. I'm so so sorry.'_

Cradling his head in her hands, her lips brushing shyly once more upon his brow. Aeris' soul called out to the Planet to rise forth and aid her with her divine plea.

Cocooned in the warmth of the female before him. Kadaj was hopelessly blind to the glowing green that was rising from the brunette's feet to encircle his own, spiralling upwards, and entrapping the pair in a evanescent mist of green. Soon the snow of Icicle Inn began to fade, along with the blood, the cold, his Brother. Even his anger. Everything in his vision was beginning to fade….except her…

The teen's gaze dimmed as he held onto his Mother. Everything seemed to be disappearing around him, and yet the light before him was getting brighter and brighter. "Kadaj." Aeris called out his name, and for reasons the teen could not seem to understand, tears began to sheen in his own eyes. The teen tried to open his mouth but no sound emerged from his lips. All he could do was listen to the female before him, and fixate on her light, and her scent so reminiscent of flowers. "Kadaj," Aeris repeated once more. The young vulnerable male could not look away."Listen to me. If you truly love me. You will stay here. Here, in this place." Aeris kept on repeating, even when the teen's face was contorting, trying desperately to communicate to her. But the spell had been already cast. It was only a matter of time before it would be fully complete and he could no longer speak. "You will be safe here from all dark thoughts of _Him _Kadaj. Then…when everything is all over.. I will come back for you. I will find you here…I promise."

The teen's tears spilled out of the teen's eyes just as a sudden flash of green surrounded the teen and the brunette cried out "_**SEAL EVIL!"**_

'_No! Don't leave me! Mother-Mother! Please! No! Don't leave me…here- alone. Please…Don't go… Come back.. Come back…'_

The brunette eyes flooded over with her own tears, as the spell allowed the brunette to hear the teen's final pleas in her own mind, even when his lips and mouth remained still of all motion. As the green dissimilated from the teen's body, Aeris stepped away from the now frozen standing form, hand over mouth, before she helplessly dropped to her knees.

The spell had been cast. The Planet had sealed the teen's vulnerable will. The brunette screwed her fists over her face and wept. She would have cried longer if it wasn't for a certain gunman hauling her back up to her feet, grabbing her shoulders and shaking her violent in a way reminiscent of _Him_.

"What did you do!" Yazoo demanded angrily. "What did you do to Kadaj!?" The gunman cried out when Aeris made no attempt to answer him. He fleetingly thought of back handing her. But as the thought came to him, it soon vanished when Aeris quickly answered.

"Don't worry Yazoo. He's alive. Kadaj is alive," Aeris turned tear stained eyes up to the tortured warrior. "His will has been sealed."

All pent up emotion stilled in the gunman's heart. "Sealed?" Yazoo repeated slowly, pulling away from Aeris to confront the form of his Brother. If one was to look at Kadaj, he did not appear any different than a statue, and yet his hair still shifted in the wind. Yazoo raised a gloved hand and ran his fingers down his Brother's jawline and leaned in closer. His Brother was still breathing. Yazoo could hear the sounds of life through his parted lips. Yazoo could not feel more relieved.

However as the gunman stared at the teen's restricted pupils.

_'He looks frightened.'_

The older Brother grimaced. It pained the gunman to see Kadaj like this…but..

How long will Kadaj stay frozen like this?" Yazoo asked carefully.

"Until the Planet sees fit to release him." Aeris replied in a soft, yet honest tone.

The gunman snorted.

"I guess we should get going now Yazoo," Aeris continued on, as she brushed the remaining wetness from her eyes with her gloved fists.

The gunman frowned in surprise. "And what? Leave Kadaj here?"

"The Planet will protect him for us." Aeris answered simply, as she momentarily clasped her hands in prayer. A small farewell to the boy who saw her as 'Mother.'

_'You are going to leave Kadaj out here like this?'_ The gunman's eyes narrowed sharply. There it was again. The brunette's capacity for spite. Yazoo knew Aeris could not see it within herself, but to Yazoo the brunette's cruelty was so blatantly there. And so again, it was up to Yazoo to do the deed that was most honest and true.

The gunman turned back to his younger sibling and moved forward

"!"

"Yazoo? What are you doing?" Aeris cried out in surprise, as the gunman moved towards Kadaj, and quickly took him in his arms. The warrior mentally noted how Kadaj was neither lighter nor heavier than he expected since the spell had been cast.

"I care not what spell you have cast over my Brother Aeris. You should know that I do not share your trust in the Planet," Yazoo answered roughly, as he turned to move out of the alley, an unmoving teen laying silently in his arms.

"W-what?"

"I will take Kadaj back to the house we stayed at previous," Yazoo stated simply, refusing to look at the female behind him. "He will be safer there."

"But the Planet-"

"!"The gunman's fiercely cold glare brook no room for further argument.

And so Aeris followed the warrior out the alley, trying desperately to ignore the signs of death and debris scattered across their route back to the house.

A large sum of time before Aeris mustered up the courage to talk to her angry companion.

_"I'm sorry Yazoo…"_

"..."

"You know I did not want to hurt Kadaj."

"…."

"And I didn't want anyone to be hurt because of me."

"Just Shut it Aeris," Yazoo muttered in a rather bittered tone. "Shut it."

The brunette's resolve froze momentarily, and so Aeris remained quiet until they reached the house once more. Aeris was about to follow Yazoo in the building, but then the gunman stopped her.

"Wait out here Aeris. This will only take a moment."

The brunette emotionally wilted. "O-ok."

Yazoo disappeared inside the house, leaving Aeris in the cold. The demi-Cetra did not know how long she waited alone before the gunman returned to her side with a coldly distant expression on his face. Aeris had no idea what the gunman was thinking, and in many ways she didn't want to know. Not when his face could look so callous...and apathetic.

"We will head for the exit of this town and then turn east," the gunman stated to the brunette in a cool, distant tone, as he calmly strode away from Aeris, and made his way down the still bloody road.

"Ok but-" Aeris began, pausing mid speech when Yazoo sent her his most vilest of glares. _'Don't bother talking to me Aeris. I'm really not in the mood to handle any more unnecessary bullshit.'_

The brunette's brow furrowed in mute surprise. It had grown apparent now. Yazoo had closed up. Completely. It was like she had gone back in time...from the first time she had met him in Icicle Inn. Cold. Cruel...and disinterested.

At this very moment, Aeris had never felt more alone.

_'But I guess it is for the best. At least this way Kadaj will be safe. And the Planet will be saved from Meteor.'_

Aeris thought sadly as she jogged after the callous male, knowing that the old Yazoo had no patience for idleness.

_'Remember Aeris. Yazoo never liked you. He sees you as a means to an end.'_

"Hurry up Aeris or I'll leave you behind," Yazoo called out in a cool, indifferent tone, his voice lacking all previous inflection of warmth.

"!"

Aeris jogged even faster, and forced herself to smile instead, even when she felt like crying…

'_For it seems like madness to cry now..._

_Afterall, isn't this what the Planet wanted._

_After I complete my Cetra Burden..._

_I will return to the Planet._

_My sacrifice will make the Planet happy._

_..._

_And I'm sure after the deed has been done…_

_Yazoo will rejoice from my sacrifice as well.'_

A tear slipped down the brunette's face as she stared at the gunman's back, watching the pale shimmer of his silvery hair dancing in the wind….So reminiscent of _**Him**_, that it made her entire heart ache and bleed with painful nostalgia.

_'So don't worry Aeris… _

_Try to stay strong for a little while longer._

_After all, all these sad memories you have endured… _

_Wont mean anything when you finalise Holy's prayer._

_And soon, you_ won't have a need to feel anymore pain or sadness...

_So keep on fighting...child chosen by the Planet.._

_For Gaia is watching...'_

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o 

_**Leaving it there. Gods I missed writing about Reno. I have decided. He is definitely my favourite Turk hands down **__**x And hell, Yazoo is back to being an angsty bishonen. Poor Aeris. Poor Kadaj.**_

_**Anywho. Review and tell me what you guys think. Who do you guys feel more sorry for? Kadaj? Aeris? Yazoo? Cait Sith? Tell me in your review.**_

_**Anywho have a nice day/evening guys.**_

_**Ciao Ciao xxx**_

_**Aer_seph4eva**_


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